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THE 


WAE TIG-EE 


OS. 


ADVENTURES AND WONDERFUL FORTUNES 


OF THK 

YOUNG SEA CHIEF 

AND HIS LAD chow: 


A TALE OP THE CONQUEST OF CHINA 


BY 

WILLmi DALTON, 

ATJrnOB OF THE “WHITB HLEPHAIJT,” EXa 


WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY H. & ilELVHLB 


NEW YORK: 

JAMES MILLER, PUBLISHER, 

6 22, BKOAD'WAT. 


9 



WN ''4'* \A3 5 


PEEFACE. 


As free use is made in the following story of the 
names of personages who played important parts in 
and during the last Tartar Conquest of China, the 
Author believes that a slight sketch of that turbulent 
epoch may not be uninteresting to his readers. 

Twenty-two dynasties have given some two hun- 
dred and forty Emperors to the Celestial Kingdom ; 
of these, two were Tartars, who obtained the throne 
by conquest and bloodshed. In the course of time, 
however, the first Tartar family, with the whole of 
their race, were either massacred or driven from the 
land by a Chinese leader, who, by mounting the 
throne, founded the celebrated family of the Mings. 

The last of the Ming Emperors, Wey-t-song, had 
n )t been many years upon the throne, when, from a 
wise and energetic man, he became so indolent, and 
regardless of all but his pleasures, that the people be- 
came oppressed by the magistrates ; indeed, to use a 
Chinese phrase, to such an extent did the “ big fish 
eat all the little ones,” that a famine grew in the land, 


4 : 


PREFACE. 


which caused the starving people to arise in rebellion 
throughout the empire. 

Taking advantage of this disorder, several ambi- 
tious lords collected together bands of vagabonds, 
set themselves up as petty kings, and plundered and 
oppressed the innocent people, till the land grew 
damp with their tears. 

At the same time, the chief, or king, of the Mant- 
chou Tartars, learning that China was like a house 
divided against itself, rode with a large army upon 
the frontier of Pe-tche-Lee, the capital province. 

The appearance, however, of this great enemy 
aroused what little nationality remained, and three 
great lords came to the Emperor’s assistance. The 
first was Woo-san-Kwei, who, at the head of an 
army, kept the Tartars at bay ; the other two, Li- 
Kong and Chang, were sent into different provinces, 
where, although bad men, being good generals, they 
succeeded in crushing all other rogues but them- 
selves. The last-named generals, however, on their 
return, becoming enraged at the Emperor’s ingrati- 
tude, took up arms against him, and, finding no great 
difficulty in subduing a people who preferred any 
other Chinese to their Emperor, seized upon two of 
the richest provinces, and established themselves as 
independent royalets, or petty kings. 


PREFACE. 


5 


Now, as in the great revolutions of England, Amer* 
ica, and France, so in China, anarchy brought forth its 
great men ; but foremost among them all stood Chin- 
Chi-Loong — a kind of Paul Jones, a pirate in the 
eyes of his enemies, a patriot in those of his friends. 

Found starving when a boy, by the Portuguese 
priests at Macao, they took him under their care, 
taught him Christianity, and baptized him by the 
name of Nicholas Gaspard. While quite a youth, he 
took service on board a trading ship, in which hum- 
ble position, the strength of his intellect and will 
BO soon exhibited itself, that at an early age he be- 
came second in command, and his captain dying soon 
after, left him sole owner and commander of the ves- 
sel and its rich cargo. 

Then it was that his true character began to devel- 
op itself ; he sought to accumulate great wealth ; for 
this purpose he traded with Japan^ Siam, and the 
Europeans, so assiduously, that at the outbreak of the 
rebellion, he had become the richest merchant in an 
empire of rich merchants ; but what to him was of 
far greater importance, a powerful sea-chief — for he 
then commanded and owned the greatest fleet that 
ever sailed in the Chinese seas, and as he had taken 
care to arm every ship, he became the terror of the 
three great contending parties; namely, the Em- 


6 


PREFACE. 


peror, the rebels, and the Tartars, who, all in turn, 
at times, offered great rewards for his head, and at 
others, for his services. 

Remarkable, however, as were the fortunes of this 
sea-chief, they were less so than those of his distin- 
guished son, the hero of this story. 

The Author will only add, that, although many of 
the adventures here set down may not be found in 
the pages of Chinese history, if, entwining informa- 
tion with amusement, they bring vividly before the 
mind’s eye of his young reader, the manners, laws, 
legends, superstitions, history, or character of that 
great, though quaint people in whom more than a 
thousand years have failed to make any material 
change, his satisfaction will be the greater that he 
has again deserved well of those to whom his grati- 
tude is due for the kind, thorough, and hearty re- 
ception they gave to the Adventures of “The 
Wolf-Boy op China.” 


WILLIAM DALTOiT. 


CONTENTS 


Chapter ^ aob 

I. — ^The Young Sea Chief. — His Mission, . . 11 

II. — The Demon Ship. — The Boy Chow, . . 19 

III. — Adventures at Sea. — Eescue, . . .29 

IV. — The Innkeeper. — Alarming News, . . 38 

Y. — Adventure in a Buddhist Monastery. — Chow’s 

Encounter with a Bonze, ... 48 

VI. — Thrashing the Gods. — The Boys taken Pris- 
oners, 55 

YII. — Treachery of the Bonzes. — Nicholas sent to 

Prison as a Traitor, 61 

VIII. — Chow sets out to discover some Thieves, . 69 

IX. — Chow outwits a great Mandarin, and sets out to 

rescue his Master, 76 

X.— Escape of Nicholas from Prison, * . .81 

XI. — Pursued by the Yah-yu. — The Boat Wreck, ^87 

XII. — Nicholas again taken Prisoner, . . .94 

Xni. — Pagodas, their Antiquity and Uses, . . 103 

XIV. — A dangerous Descent, 109 

XV. — Nicholas discovers a Conspiracy, and makes an 

unpleasant Entry into Pekin, . • . .114 

XVI. — The Boys again in Trouble, . . . 126 

XVII. — Nicholas resolves upon a dangerous Adventure, 136 


8 


CONTENTS. 


CoA-PTEB Page 

XYIII. — The Imperial Gardens, . . . ,145 

XIX. — The Princess of the Mings, and the Lady Can- 
dida, 150 

XX. — Danger of the Princess. — Her Eescue by 

Nicholas, 154 

XXI. — Assembly of the great Princes of the Empire, 163 

XXII. — The Boy Prince and the Rival Generals, . IIO 

XXIII. — Audience with the Son of Heaven. — Nicholas 

accuses a great Prince of Treason, . . 178 

XXIV. — Nicholas unveils a Rebel Chief, . , . 189 

XXY, — Nicholas and the Prince have an Adventure, and 

save the Life of Chow, . . . .197 

XXVI. — Nicholas receives an important Command, . 210 

XXVII. — The Rebels attack Pekin. — Treachery of a 

General, and the Fight, . . . .214 

XXVIII. — Attack on the Palace. — Suicide of the Em- 
peror, the Princess wounded, . . . 221 

XXIX. — The Secret Cavern. — The Princess saved by the 

Boys, 230 

XXX — A large Stock of Ladies, two taels per sack, . 237 

XXXI. — Chow makes a Discovery, and Nicholas a Sur- 
prise, 242 

XXXII. — ^Nicholas punishes an ungrateful Innkeeper, and 

escapes from his treachery, . . .250 

XXXIII. — An Overland Journey. — Attacked by Wolves, 

and stopped by a Serpent, . . . .259 

XXXIV. — Saved by a Musk Deer. — Stories of wonderful 

Mountains, ‘ . 264 

XXXV. — Treachery of the Guide. — The Princess seized 

by Robbers, 27' 

XXXVI. — Once more Prisoners, but with Friends. — The 

Guide’s Mistake, 279 


CONTEI^TS. 


9 


Chapter P^qb 

XXXYIL — Interview with the General. — Nicholas causes 

Soldiers to be sent in search of the Princess, 285 
XXXYIII, — Cruel Death of the aged Woo. — A Battle. — 
Bravery of the Boys. — Chow taken by the 
Enemy, 293 

XXX IX. — The Rebels beaten. — Artfulness of the Tartar 
King. — Chagrin and Disappointment of 
Nicholas, 300 

XL. — The Great Boy Emperor. — Nicholas meets with 

a fearful Surprise, 305 

XU. — Nicholas has an Interview with his Father, and 

leaves Pekin forever, 309 

XLII. — The Rival Sea Chiefs. — Reappearance of an old 

Friend. — A comical Battle with the Tartars, 314 
XLIII. — Chow discovers his Mother and the Princess. — 
Rescues them from the Tartars, and relates 

his Adventures, 320 

XLIY. — A Sea V oyage. — The Colao relates the Adven- 
tures of the Princess, . . . .329 

XLY. — They reach the Palace of the Sea Chief Kosh- 

inga, 333 

XLYI. — The King and Queen of Formosa. — Happy Ter- 
mination of the Story, . . . .336 





THE WAR TIGER. 


CHAPTER I. 

THE TOITN'G SEA CHIEF. — HIS MISSION. 

!N'eaely midway between Formosa and the most 
southern point of the Chinese province of Fokien are 
the Pescadores, a cluster of small islands, which are 
so barren that their few inhabitants are put to the 
trouble of procuring food, and even fuel, from the 
main land. 

These islands, however, have a value of their own 
in the shape of a capacious harbor and safe anchorage, 
that was readily seen by the Dutch, the first civilized 
people who established themselves upon the neigh- 
boring island of Formosa, which, although a beautiful 
and fertile land, has not a sufficient depth of water 
for vessels of great draught. 

It was in this harbor that a large fleet of trading 
vessels, laden with pearls, red copper, sabre-blades, 
fan-paper, porcelain, and many other articles of com- 
merce purchased at Japan, and on its way to the large 
trading cities further south, sought shelter from one 
of the violent tempests so common to the China seas. 

One of these vessels was anchored in the direction 


12 


THE WAR TIGER. 


of Formosa, some distance in advance. Larger than 
the others, she was also of European build, and 
mounted with ten guns. A horde of wild half-naked 
men swarmed about the rigging, and decks, inter- 
spersed here and there with an officer garbed in the 
wide-sleeved robe common to the Chinese prior to 
the Mantchou Tartar conquest. 

The aflerpart of the deck was taken up with a tent 
formed of poles and matting of bamboo, the interior 
of which was luxuriously fitted with chairs, tables, 
and sofas, tastefully wrought from the wood of roses 
or, as it is termed in this country, rose- wood. The 
walls, highly painted and glittering with japan, were 
hung with Chinese pictures in gilded and japanned 
frames. Between these were long strips of satin up 
on which, imprinted in colors and gold, were some 
of the choicest moral maxims from the books of the 
philosopher Confucius. 

The panes of the windows, four in number, were 
formed of stained transparent paper. In the piers 
between, supported by glittering branches, were paint- 
ed lanterns, and from the ceiling, which shone with 
colors and carvings of celestial blue and burnished 
gold, was suspended a gong of pure silver. So far 
there could be no doubt that it was the floating hab- 
tation of a wealthy Chinese, but then, curiously, 
lliere was a total absence of those idols, altars, and 
burning incense, which to this day are to be found in 
aU Chinese vessels. The truth was, that although a 
Chinese, the owner was a Christian, as was evinced 
by a niche at one end of the room, in which stood a 


THE YOUNG SEA CHIEF. 


13 


handsome Pril Dieu^ surmounted by a fine painting 
of Christ upon the cross. 

At this altar, with his hands clasped, knelt a boy 
of seventeen, whose high cheek bones, dark eyes, and 
long black hair, declared his Chinese origin. His 
head and neck were bare, and his ample robe of 
green silk, which reached nearly to his close fitting 
leather boots, was confined in the middle by a crimson 
girdle, fastened by a clasp of agate stone. From the 
girdle hung a short straight sword. Although a 
.Chinese, the youth was a Christian; one, indeed, of 
those whose faith had been gathered from the teach- 
ings of the early European missionaries, whose inde- 
fatigable exertions and untiring patience amidst much 
persecution, contumely, and even martyrdoin, will 
forever keep their names green in the memories of the 
Chinese. 

As the youth arose from his kneeling position, the 
report of a gun rang through the air, so snatching up 
his cap of sable, he went on deck to welcome the 
arrival of his father, who ascended the side of the 
vessel followed by some half-dozen officers, attired 
like himself in loose robes of thick brown silk, oiled 
to withstand the weather and without one warlike 
vestment, except the short swords which hung from 
their girdles. 

Standing with his head bent foward and his arms 
straight by his sides, the attitude of respect, the youth 
waited for his father to salute him, after which he 
followed him through the rank of officers to the cabin, 
when observing the gloomy aspect of the chief » 


14 


THE WAR TIGER. 


countenance, he said “Has my honored father, the 
great chief, not prospered with the barbarian Hollan- 
ders ?” 

“ To the full, my son, for like the ' greedy wolves 
they have purchased the whole of my merchandise, 
and I have more than sufficient wealth to destroy 
the vermin enemies who are turning the children of 
the Son of Heaven from those habits of peace which 
ha\e so long rendered them the greatest and most 
prosperous of the world’s people.” 

“ Of what enemies does my honorable father speak? 
Surely there are none but the savage Tartars.” 

“ Of three, my son, — the Tartars, who are now 
within a few leagues of the palace of Ten Thousand 
Years himself; the European savages, who under pre- 
tence of commerce have obtained a footing, that, if 
not soon rooted out, will last forever ; and worse, by 
far worse, — for internal rebeUion is as destructive to 
an empire as to an household, — the rebel mandarins 
who are now at open war with their holy sovereign.” 

“Is this treble sore fresh, that it should now so 
rankle the heart and cloud the brow of my venerable 
parent ?” 

“ Truly so, my son, for although long festering it 
has but now reached a head,” replied the chief, add- 
ing, “ To the days of my great-grandsire the empire 
had been free from the profane feet of barbarians. 

Then the different governments passed into the 
hunds of cowardly mandarins, whose weakness be- 
came the advantage of the pirate Li-Lao, who ravag- 
ed the whole coast with fire and sword, and to get 


THE YOUXG SEA CHIEF. 


15 


rid of whom the puny officials sought the aid of the 
Portugals, who traded at one of the outer ports. 
These barbarians, however, were brave ; they sought, 
fought, and killed the pirate, and destroyed his ships 
and, as a reward, were permitted to settle at Macao.” 

“ Surely, my father should be grateful to these Por- 
tugals, whose priests first shed upon his eyes and 
heart the light of Christianity,” said the boy bowing 
reverently. 

“ They taught me for their own ends, and I would 
not trust the rats.” 

“ But the red-haired barbarians of Formosa, from 
whom my father has just returned, are they of the 
same race ?” 

“ ISTot so, my son, these Dutch dogs are from a dis- 
tant country called Holland, where the people are so 
miserably poor they cannot afford even a king.” 

“Then why, O my father, were such pauper 
barbarians permitted to place the soles of their feet 
on the land of Formosa ?” 

“ By fraud and artifice the rogues obtained their 
hold. During a tempest one of their vessels was 
driven upon the coast : the crew finding the island to 
be well situated to their wants, partly by presents, 
partly by force, persuaded the simple inhabitants to 
give them only as much land as could be encompassed 
by the hide of an ox, when the rogues cut the hide 
into thousands of narrow slips, tied them end to end 
and therewith measured the earth, to the great sur- 
prise and indignation of the inhabitants, who, howev- 
er, were too powerless to offer resistance. In a short 


16 


THE WAR TIGER. 


time they were joined by multitudes of their country 
menand erected yonder fort, which they call the Castle 
of Zealand.” 

“Surely the fleet of my father can exterminate 
these wasps?” said the boy, whom I shall for the fu- 
ture call by his Christian name of Nicholas. 

But as at that moment an oflicer entered the cabin 
and reported the approach of a strange ship, father 
and son went on deck, prepared to give either a 
salute to a friend or a broadside to a foe. 

The vessel proving to be a war junk and carrying 
the dragon flag of the Emperor, they fired a salute 
of respect, when a signal was made from the junk 
that she had on board the Mandarin, or Deputy- 
Governor of Amoy, with a secret communication 
for the illustrious merchant Chin-chi-Loong, where- 
upon the chief bowed respectfully at the name of 
so great a personage, and prepared to receive him 
with all the customary tedious formalities. 

This visit from so important a personage very 
much puzzled Nicholas, who stood the whole time 
the mandarin was closeted with his father, leaning 
against a gun, in deep thought. When the man- 
darin had finished and the official had taken his 
departure, Nicholas returned to the cabin, where 
he found the chief sitting thoughtfully with his 
hand upon the satin wrapper of a letter, which 
from the great seals affixed and the characters Hong 
Fong (guarded and sealed), he knew must be of 
great importance and from some high personage. 

“My information is truthful,” said the chief; 


THE YOUNG SEA CHIEF. 


17 


“ there is treason among the lords of the court, and 
the dogs believing Chin-Chi-Loong to be as vile as 
themselves, have offered him the title of king and 
the island of Formosa, if he will aid them with his 
ships, wealth, and men.” 

“ What answer made my honorable father ?” said 
Nicholas. 

“ A promise to consent, that the traitors may be 
caught like rats in a trap.” 

“ Surely this is not well, for why need the brave 
stoop to such villainy ?” replied the youth boldly. 

Not noticing this reply, the chief became pensive 
for a few minutes, then exclaimed, “Would that 
I could place a letter in the hands of the Son of 
Heaven himself!” 

Surely that cannot be a difficulty,” said Nicholas. 

“Alas! my son, Wey-t-song is so resigned to his 
pleasures and the company of the vile bonzes, that 
the audience-denying tablet is for ever suspended at 
the gates of the inner palace.” 

“ Truly it is a maxim that nothing is impossible 
to the brave. Let my father place the letter in the 
hands of his son, and it shall reach the imperial 
eyes !” 

For a minute the chief gazed proudly at the boy, 
then passing his hand across his eyes, as if to chase 
away some sad thought, said, “ It shall be so, but 
for nothing less than the safety of his Emj)eror 
w^ould Chin-Chi-Loong risk the life of his only son ; 
but haste, and assume the dress of a traveling mer- 
chant, while I prepare these important characters.” 

2 


IS 


THE WAR TIGER. 


Without another word Mcholas left the cabin, re- 
turning, however, shortly afterward, dressed in a 
plain robe of coarse brown silk, with a girdle of the 
same color, a couple of short swords beneath his 
garment, and thick staff of bamboo. 

“ This promptness is good and bespeaks success,” 
said the chief, laying his hand on a letter which was 
enclosed in three wrappers of satin, the outer being 
sealed in many places, adding, “ Secure this packet 
beneath thy inner robe, for upon its safety may de- 
pend the fate of the empire. I know not by what 
means thou mayest reach the Emperor, therefore, 
when in Pekin it would be well to seek the merchant 
Yang, in the great square, who will aid the son of 
the great merchant of the south.” Then taking 
another letter from the table, he added, “ As you 
pass through the city of Hang-tcheou, seek out 
Father Adam, the chief priest of the Christians, and 
place this in his hands ; but guard it weU, for the 
contents are such that were they to meet the eye- 
balls of the bonzes it might prove thy destruction.” 

Then placing a valuable ring on the boy’s finger 
and telling him to take what silver he might require, 
till he reached the merchant of Pekin, who would 
ftupply him with more, he bid farewell to Nicholas, 
who, signalling one of the consort ships, went on 
board, and was soon landed at the port of Amoy. 


THE DEMON SHIP. 


19 


CHAPTER n. 

THE DEMON SHIP. — ^THE BOY OHOW. 

Taking a passage in a merchant junk bound to 
the port of Ning-Po, Nicholas continued his journey 
for some days without meeting with any event of 
importance. The voyage was, however, rendered 
very tedious by the idolatry of the sailors, who 
spent a great portion of their time in offering up 
presents to a dirty little wooden god stuck behind 
a small oil lamp, the odor from which was any 
thing but agreeable. They would moreover fre- 
quently stop the ship to offer meat and incense to 
the images of the sea goddess Ma-tsoo-po, which are 
perched upon almost every promontory upon the 
Chinese coast. 

They had been at sea, or rather along the coast, 
for these sailors never venture far from land, six 
days, when the murky atmosphere, the heavy swell 
of the waves as they rolled inward, and the flutter- 
ing flight of the sea-fowl, betokened a coming storm; 
and the crew, trembling with fear, thought of little 
else but making offerings to the dirty little god, 
praying of him to stop the storm. A sailor • and a 
Christian from his childhood, Nicholas was no less 
disgusted with their cowardice than their foolish su- 


20 


THE WAR TIGEK. 


perstition, and really fearing that the ship would he 
dashed to pieces upon a rock, he earnestly entreated 
them to exert themselves. His efforts, however, 
were useless, for their faith was firm in the power 
of their gods, whose protection they sought to pur- 
chase in the following curious manner : — 

Taking a quantity of gilt paper, kept on hoard 
for the purpose, they cut it into the shape of copper 
tchen, the only coin in the empire, and threw them 
into the sea as a bribe to the goddess Ma-tsoo-po ; 
hut finding that the marine lady’s favor was not to 
he bought so cheaply, the whole crew began to busy 
themselves in building a paper ship, which, by the 
way, was so ingeniously constructed that it formed 
an exact model of their own junk, being complete 
with masts, ropes, sails, flags, compass, rudder, a 
crew, victuals, and even a book of accounts. 

When this redoubtable vessel was finished they 
let it into the sea with great ceremony, and amidst 
the deafening clatter of drums and instruments, and 
their own shoutings to the goddess, to wreak her 
vengeance upon the toy instead of her adorers’ 
ship. 

Nevertheless the hard-hearted goddess was not 
to be caught with tinsel, for the storm raged with 
such terrible violence that the frail bark would 
speedily have been dashed to atoms but for Nicho- 
las, who, after persuading a few of the least obstinate 
if the men to help him, set to work and managed to 
keep her head so straight that they passed through 
the channel without touching the rocks by which it 


THE DEMON SHIP. 21 

was bounded on either side. So fearful was the 
hurricane of circular winds that the shivering crew 
could see trees torn up by the roots as easily as corks 
out of bottles by corkscrews. At length, however, 
the storm subsided, and the sailors believing that 
nothing less than a deity could have enabled their 
vessel to live in such a storm, fell upon their knees 
before Nicholas and thanked him for quelling the 
fury of the elements. 

“ Let my brothers toss their stupid idol into the sea, 
and offer up thanks to the One true God of heaven, 
who alone has saved them,” said the boy. 

Enraged at this insult to their god, the sailors gave 
full vent to their disapprobation, and would have 
tossed the bold youth into the sea but for a sudden 
cry from the look-out man. 

“ The wasps of the ocean ! the wasps of the ocean 
are upon us !” 

At this cry the crew took alarm, and ran to differ- 
ent parts of the vessel, and armed themselves with 
pikes, swords, or any weapon upon which they could 
place their hands. 

Taking the glass from the trembling hands of the 
ook-out man, Nicholas endeavored to make out the 
cause of the alarm. It was a large floating object at 
a great distance, and bore some resemblance to a 
ship, still, notwithstanding the track it left behind in 
the water, he was doubtful ; but before he could 
make up his mind the captain snatched the glass 
from his hands, glanced through it, declared his 
opinion that it was a wasp of the ocean, or pirate, 


22 


THE 'VVAPw TIGEE. 


and ordered his vessel to be put back, with the hope 
of outrunning her. 

Then the first officer took tlie glass, and after 
gazing for some time, said, “Truly, my brothers, 
this is no ship, but a frightful demon that the in- 
sulted Ma-tsoo-po has sent from the bottom of the 
sea to devour us for carrying this impious youth.” 

This was sufficient for the superstitious fear of the 
the crew, who, clustering toward Nicholas, with one 
voice cried, “ Over the side with the irreligious 
dog.” 

Seeing no other chance, the boy ran to the stern 
of the vessel, and, keeping them at a distance with 
his sword, said, “Let my brothers open their ears. 
Their servant has brought this calamity upon them, 
but will yet save them from the anger of the 
demon by seeking him before he reaches the vessel, 
for surely the demon will be satisfied with one 
victim.” 

“ The boy’s words are good, and if he will pay for 
the boat it shall be so, otherwise it is not well that 
we should lose its value,” said the artful captain, 
fearing he should lose any money Nicholas might 
have about his person. 

“Back, rat!” said he to the advancing captain, 
keeping him off with his sword and springing side- 
ward on to the edge of the junk, adding, “Lower 
the boat, with provisions, and I wiU give you silver ; 
refuse, and I will leap into the sea.” 

Fearing he would keep his word, the crew placed 
some rice cakes and a small water cask in the boat 


THE DEMON SHIP. 


23 


and lowered it; and when Nicholas saw it fairly 
afloat, and held but by one cord, he scrambled down 
the side like a cat, drew his sword across the rope, 
threw a handful of silver upon the deck, and pulled so 
hard at the oars that in a very short time ho was far 
out of the cowards’ reach and on his way to the float- 
mg demon ; which, however he had no sooner caught 
full sight of than he laughed till he could handle the 
oars no longer, for the terrible demon who had 
scared the wits of the sailors proved to be neither 
more nor less than a great tree which the circular 
winds had wrested from the earth with such violence 
that the root had dragged with it a mass of earth 
and pebbles sufiicient to keep it afloat in a perfectly 
upright position, when, with its spreading branches 
and lower boughs, it bore in the distance no bad re- 
semblance to a well-rigged vessel. 

Rowing cautiously, for fear the tree might topple 
over and upset his boat, he heard a faint cry. Sure- 
ly it could not be human ; he listened ; again he 
heard it ; and looking upward you may imagine his 
astonishment at seeing a boy sitting across one of 
the upper branches. 

“ Who cries for help ?” said Nicholas. 

“It is the miserable Chow, who must die if the 
benevolent stranger will not aid him,” was the 
reply. 

“ Canst thou swim, O Chow ? If so, drop into 
he water, for I dare not come nearer,” said Nicho- 
s ; but scarcely had he spoken when a strong gust 
of wind toppled the tree over with its great arms 


24 


THE WAR TIGER. 


Stretched out as if to save itself from falling. For- 
tunately it fell in an opposite direction to the boat. 
In the fall the boy was dashed so violently upon the 
water, that becoming instantly senseless he would 
have sunk but for Nicholas, who, getting hold of the 
long hair of his head, managed to drag him into the, 
boat. Upon recovering his senses he said, “ Alas ! 
then, Yen-Vang has poor Chow after all.” 

“ Thou art far away from the king of the lower 
regions, my poor Chow,” said Nicholas. 

“ By the social relations, I am alive and on earth 
— ^no, on water — and ungrateful to the benevolent 
stranger,” said the boy, holding his head with 
both hands, as if the better to comprehend his situ- 
ation. 

“ Satisfy thy hunger and say how it happened that 
Chow came to be perched like a wild goose on a 
masthead,” said Nicholas, giving the boy some of the 
rice cakes, which he devoured as ravenously as if he 
had not tasted food for a week. 

The lad, who had so unexpectedly made the ac- 
quaintance of Nicholas, was a tall, bony youth of 
about sixteen, with a broad forehead, sparkling black 
eyes, and covered with a coarse robe, so torn and 
tattered, that he might have passed for a beggar of 
the lowest class. 

When he had satisfied his hunger, Chow clasped 
the knees of his new friend, and with tears of grati- 
tude flowing down his cheek, said, “ Chow will be 
thy slave, O generous stranger, for truly it could be 
for no other purpose that the gods have saved his life.” 


THE DEMON SHIP. 


25 


“ Tush ! talk not of slavery or gods, Chow, hut 
say what is thy name, surname, and the rank of thy 
family,” said Nicholas. 

“ Truly, the story of Chow is as miserable as his 
own mean person. I am from Tun-Hien, in Ching- 
Foo, in the province of Tche-Kiang. My father was 
a mandarin of the fifth rank, who having taken a 
good degree, held ofiice under the governor of the 
fort, till one moon since, when the terrible rebel, Li- 
Kong, took possession of the city in defiance of the 
Son of Heaven himself, and massacred all who would 
not submit; my father being one of the first to ac- 
knowledge the traitor, became the first to be pun- 
ished for his disloyalty to our holy Emperor, which 
happened as thy servant will relate. 

“ One day, my mother, who was accounted very 
handsome, so far forgot the social regulations laid 
down for women, as to stand gazing from a window 
while a body of soldiers passed through the street. 
For that unbecoming act, both my venerable father 
and myself suflered, for the officer clattered at the 
door, when the servants not daring to refuse so 
powerful a personage, admitted him to the house, 
when he ran into the inner apartment of my mother, 
who was so alarmed at such barbarian behavior, 
that she rose to leave, when the villain would have 
carried her away but for thy insignificant servant, 
who clutched his throat and sO gashed his cheek that, 
the waters even of the yellow stream will never 
wash them out. 

“Hearing the struggle, the soldiers came to 


26 


THE WAR TIGER. 


the rogue’s help, and would have killed poor 
Chow, but for my father, who, returning at the 
moment, compelled the officer, bad and bold as he 
was, to make his escape ; but, alas ! no sooner had 
the rogue left, than instead of being grateful, my 
father burst into loud lamentations, crying, ‘Alas, 
alas ! that ever so mean a person was born, for thou 
hast insulted the chief favorite of the prince, who 
will assuredly be revenged;’ and so it proved, for 
the next day we were all taken before the prince, who 
ordered the whole family to be exterminated, and 
our house burnt to the ground ; but what was worse, 
alas ! my father was not even strangled, but disgraced 
by being sent to the yellow stream incomplete, for he 
was beheaded on the spot, and the villain officer beg- 
ged his wife as a slave, to which, in her misery, my 
mother offered to consent if they would but spare 
the life of thy miserable servant, her son. To this 
the prince consented, but the officer was so enraged 
at the wound in his cheek, that he ordered me to be 
dressed in beggar’s rags, and beaten out of the town 
toward the sea. Accordingly the wretches beat me 
till I could not stand, and left me to starve and die 
on the sea-shore. 

“For days and days I wandered in the hope that 
some fisherman would take compassion upon me ; but 
alas ! none dared to encoumge so treasonous a youth 
fur fear of suffering similar nunishment ; then, but for 
the hope that retaining my nuserable existence would 
some fortunate day enable nieVto punish the villain, I 
should have thrown myself into the sea, although 


/ 


THE DEMON SHIP. 


27 


even that consolation I could not seek without impi- 
ously forgetting my duty to my father, for has it not 
been wisely said that we should not live beneath the 
same heaven with the destroyer of our parents ?” 

“ It is a pagan doctrine, Chow ; but how came you 
upon yonder perch ?” said Nicholas. 

“ Without hope, tired, and sad, I wandered along 
the coast till the great storm sent the terrified wild 
animals in all directions ; to escape from them I climb- 
ed a tree upon the very verge of the sea, when 
shortly afterward the wind-demon blew one great gust 
which carried it into the sea, where its great spread- 
ing root and the earth around kept it fl’oatmg till the 
benevolent stranger came to my rescue.” 

“ Thou shalt be revenged upon this villain officer, 
my poor Chow, and upon the greater rogue, Li- 
Kong,” said Nicholas. 

“ How, — what words are these ? surely the benev- 
olent stranger cannot be in his senses to speak thus 
of men so powerful,” rephed the astonished Chow. 

“ What would Chow do to obtain the punishment 
of his enemies? Would he faithfully serve the stran- 
ger who has saved his life ?” 

“ If these are the words of truth, — and who is thy 
mean servant that he should doubt ? — O wonderful 
stranger, Chow will' be thy slave tiU he goes to meet 
his ancestors.” 

“Then, surely as I have spoken, it shall be so. 
But how wouldst thou know this vile rogue again ?” 

“ Is it possible for a son to forget the slayer of his 
parent, even if the wound in his face would not be- 


28 


THE WAR TIGER. 


tray him ?” said Chow, who gazing earnestly in the 
face of Nicholas, added, “Art thou really a boy or 
a m^n of short measure 

“ Truly, like thyself, a boy of long measure and 
ample fullness, whose mean surname is Nicholas,” 
said the other laughing. 

“No, no, noble Nicholas, not like Chow; for if a 
boy, thou art like him who became the Emperor 
Tait-sou, a little great man-boy,” said Chow. 


ADVENTUEES AT SEA. 


29 


CHAPTER III. 

ADVENTUEES AT SEA. EESCIJE. 

Having recovered his strength, Chow took a turn 
at the oars, and for an hour pulled lustily, to get 
as far from the coast as possible, for fear of being 
observed by any straggling party of the rebels who 
might pursue them, when, if they searched Nicho- 
las and discovered the letter, farewell to the sea 
chiefs schemes. This fear, however, soon became 
absorbed in a greater; night came on, and brave 
sailor as he was, Nicholas did not fancy being upon 
that stormy sea in such a fragile boat. 

Then Nicholas took the oars, and had not been 
pulling long, when he perceived the glimmering of a 
light in the distance. He rested for a moment ; the 
light grew larger and nearer : this was hopeful ; it 
might be the lantern of a trading ship ; yet fearful, 
for it might be a pirate. The suspense was terrible, 
and like a gallant fellow he determined to end it as 
soon as possible ; for this purpose he pulled heartily, 
and was rewarded at length by getting near enough 
to the stranger to distinguish voices, then a few long 
pulls, and strong pulls, and he reached the ship, 
when by the light from her lanterns perceiving some 
ropes hanging out, he clambered up her side, telling 


80 


THE WAR TIGER. 


Chow to follow. In another second they both stood 
upon the deck, but also in the . arms of men, who 
would have stabbed them with their knives but for 
the presence of mind of our hero, who exclaimed, 
“ Fear not, brothers of the sea, we are not pirates.” 

The men, however, not being so easily appeased, 
bound the arms of the boys with ropes and took 
them into the presence of the captain, much to the 
disgust of Chow, who said, “ Truly it is a maxim 
that a servant should follow his master, but our 
career will be one of short measure by this strange 
frolic, O noble Nicholas.” 

“Silence, Chow, let not thy heart leap between 
thy lips at the first threat of danger,” said Nicholas 
angrily. 

The bravest war tiger would become a mouse with 
his body packed as closely as a cotton ball,” said 
Chow surlily. 

The captain, however, no sooner saw Nicholas, 
than with a start of surprise he ordered the sailors 
to leave the cabin, and took up a large knife fl'om 
the cabin table, when the terrified Chow cried, 
“ Take the worthless life of thy mean slave, O noble 
commander, but in the name of thy ancestors spare 
my noble master.” 

Chow’s fear became surprise in no small degree 
when the captain, without noticing his prayer, not 
only cut the cords from the arms of Nicholas, but 
made him a respectful bow. 

“Thanks, worthy commander,” said Nicholas, 
taking the knife and releasing Chow. 


ADVENTURES AT SEA. 


81 


“Truly the heavens have tumbled down a sur- 
prise,” said Chow, with a caper, adding, “Is the 
noble man-boy a good demon, that he can trans- 
form enemies into friends with a glance of his 
eye ?” 

Without, however, satisfying Chow, Nicholas 
asked the captain to give the boy a sleeping mat 
in another cabin, after which he said, “ It is well, 
O Yung, that you chanced to be at sea this night, or 
my noble parent would have had to mourn his son.” 
But little more passed, for Nicholas was glad to seek 
a long rest, and possession of the sleeping mat which 
the captain resigned to him. 

The reason of this civility is easily explained — 
the vessel itself belonged to the sea chief, and its 
commander was one of his officers in charge on a 
voyage to Ning-Po, which port they reached the 
following day. Having landed, the boys took 
leave of the captain, and sought a lodging at one 
of the largest inns, where, after resting for a few 
days, Nicholas began to prepare for his journey 
inland. 

His first care was to furnish Chow with a be- 
coming robe of stout silk, a cap, trousers, and thick- 
soled leather boots. As soon as the boy had put 
them on he began to caper about, crying, “My 
master is generous, and the gods will reward him 
for making a poor boy decent enough to pay due 
reverence to the tombs of his ancestors, for truly 
he could not worthily sweep the dust from their 
resting-place in such unbecoming tatters ; for 


82 


THE WAR TIGER. 


although Chow is poor, he is of worthy descent and 
honorable relations.” 

“ Truly, Chow, thou art now fit to take a degree 
at the next examination at Pekin, if we ever arrive 
there,” said Nicholas. 

“It is not reasonable that the noble Nicholas 
should laugh at his mean servant, for at the ex- 
amination of his Hien he passed so creditably 
through the first two sacred books, that he would 
have obtained a government promotion but for the 
villain who destroyed his house. May his soul 2^ass 
into the body of a rat P' said Chow gloomily. 

“Pardon, O disappointed scholar. It was vil- 
lainous to laugh, for it is a wise saying, ‘ that the 
well to do should sympathize with the unfortunate,’ ” 
said Nicholas, adding, as he took his cap, “ But let 
us now seek for a passage-boat, for it is also wisely 
said, ‘ that the loiterer about the business of another 
is incapable of conducting his own afiairs.’ ” 

When they reached the river, they engaged a 
passage to Hang-tcheou, and having waited for a 
favorable tide, the barge was soon out of the river 
into a canal,* upon which for days they proceeded, 
at times being pushed along by poles thrust into 
the water, at others, being drawn along by coohes, 
or porters, an employment that affords a means of 
existence to a vast portion of the population of 
China. 

Tche-Kiang, through which they so leisurely 
traveled, is, perhaps, the most fertile and beautiful 
of the eighteen provinces of China, and large 


ADVENTURES AT SEA. 


83 


enough to contain the whole of Scotland and its 
adjacent islands. Besides rivers, it is watered by 
some sixty canals, which serve not only as an easy 
method of transit, but so to irrigate the great plains 
around that they yield crops of rice, pulse, and 
cotton, twice and sometimes thrice a year. It was 
pleasant to watch these canals pouring forth their 
sparkling hmpid streams to lave the feet of the 
. neighboring hills and mountains, which for many 
miles presented an aspect of singular beauty ; some, 
like carved and nature painted pyramids, being 
wrought into terraces, which shot one out of the 
other, teeming with the yellow grain, cotton, or tea- 
trees, while others were thickly sprinkled with shady 
trees, which waved over sloping cemeteries of quaint- 
ly shaped tombs and temples. It was a charming 
picture — nature dressed to the verge of- foppery — 
more, it was a glorious land, and smiling as if in 
pride at its power of blessing the human race — and 
more again, that its owners knew its worth and in- 
dustriously stretched its blessings to the utmost. 

Then the boat came to a dike, or sluice, and they 
were about to enter another canal at least fifteen fee 
beneath their level. To pass this, the barge waf 
hoisted by Coohes up an inclined plain of freestone 
by means of ropes upon capstans and sheer strength 
of muscle, then gently let down a slope upon the 
other side into the water, a mode adopted to the 
present day to move even the largest vessels from 
canal to canal. 

Thus pleasantly the young travelers were wafted 

3 


34 


WAR TIGER. 


through the province, now through vast plains of 
rice, then by the sides of great hills clustering 'u'ith 
the tea-plant, on again through vast orchards of mul- 
berry-trees and the useful and curious tallow-plant ; 
then again through plantations of bamboo, that in- 
separable companion of the Chinaman from the 
cradle to the grave — for it receives the infant, cor- 
rects the boy, is the means of living for the man, 
and entwines the corpse. Then again they passed 
through towns and cities, swarming with busy 
workers at the silk-loom and multifarious handicrafts, 
and toiling children, women, and men in the fields, 
till they passed another dike, and then they were 
upon the beautiful lake Tsao-hou, about the naming 
of which the following pretty story is told : — 

“Many years ago there lived a priest of the 
Taouist religion, who had obtained a reputation for 
his skill in magic. At the festival of the feast of 
dragon boats,, the priest went to sport in the river in 
honor of his gods, but by some mischance he was 
drowned, and his body no where to be found. Ilis 
dutiful daughter, Tsao-hou, a girl fourteen years of 
age, felt her father’s loss so deeply that she wandered 
along the banks of the river for seventeen days and 
nights, weeping and wailing over her loss. At last 
she threw a large melon into the river, putting up 
the prayer, ‘ May this melon sink v/herever the body 
of my father lieth.’ With anxious eyes she watched 
the gourd as it fioated on the surface of the stream, 
until it stopped at a certain spot where it sank. The 
poor damsel, frantic with grief, rushed to the place 


ADVENTURES AT SEA. 


55 


and plunged after it. She too was drowned, but 
five days afterward her lifeless trunk rose to the sur- 
face with her father’s body in her embrace. Both 
were buried on the river bank, and in commemora- 
tion of that incident the name of the girl was given 
to the lake and a magnificent temple erected to her 
name.” 

On the sixth day they came to Chao-hing, the 
Venice of China, where the canals are so numerous 
that any portion of the city may be reached by 
boats. Imagine a city with, in place of streets, one 
large network of water-roads, intersected with 
bridges, so light and fancifiil that one could imagine 
them to have been blown together by the breath of 
fairies, and you will have some notion of Chao-hing. 

This city is celebrated alike for its silk-worms and 
book-worms. So great is the reputation of tlie scho- 
lars of Chao-hing that they are sought for by the 
viceroys of provinces to fill government offices. 
Near to this city and not far from the mountain of 
Asses (so called from its being shaped in the form of 
that animal) is the sepulchre of the great Emperor 
Yu, the model sovereign of China. 

This prince obtained the throne by haying saved 
the empire from the deluge of water which in his 
time covered the lands ; indeed, he must have been 
no common engineer, for in thirteen years, by un- 
wearied labor, he leveled high mountains, embanked 
and confined great rivers within their channels, 
drained lakes and marshes, enclosed rapid torrents 
with banks, and divided rivers into canals, which not 


86 


THE WAR TIGER. 


only gained a great extent of country, but rendered 
the whole more fertile. It was the great genius and 
wonderful energy of Yu that caused the reigning 
Emperor to choose him for his successor in prefer- 
ence to either of the four princes, his sons. 

Among other remarkable things told of this Em 
per or, it is said that he first taught the people to cul 
tivate, sow, and manure lands, and divided his do- 
minions into nine provinces, causing as many great 
brazen vessels to be made, on each of which a map of 
a province was engraved. In succeeding times these 
vessels became very precious, for it was believed 
that the safety of the state depended on their 
security, and that whoever obtained them would also 
obtain the crown. 

A qualification rare amongst kings was possessed 
by this useful prince. He hated flatterers, and the 
only way to gain his favor was to tell him of his 
faults. Moreover, Yu thought no employment so 
becommg a sovereign as doing justice to the people ; 
thus he gave access to his subjects at all hours, and 
that no obstacle might be thrown in their way, 
he had afiixed to his palace gates a bell, a drum, 
and three tables, one of iron, one of stone, and 
another of lead, upon either of which people ’who 
wanted an audience were to strike. 

The bell was to distinguish civil affairs, the drum 
for matters relating to law or religion, the leaden 
table for the ministers, the tablet of stone to denote 
a complaint of wrong done by some magistrate, 
and lastly the iron tablet was to denote any very 


ADVENTURES AT SEA. 


37 


serious trouble. So rigorously did Yu adhere to 
this rule, that it is said that he arose from table 
twice in one day, and another day came three times 
out of his bath at the sound of the bell. 

Another story is, that when wine, which was first 
invented in his reign, was shown to him, he expressed 
great regret, “for,” said he, “this liquor will cause 
the greatest trouble to the empire.” But wise and 
powerful as he was, Tu could not conquer sensuality ; 
for in China, as in most other countries, the love for 
strong Kquors is potent. 


33 


THE WAR TIGER. 


CHAPTER lY. 

THE INNKEEPER. ALARMING NEWS. 

For six more days the boys sailed along this canal 
till they came to Hang-tcheou-Fou, the terrestrial 
paradise of China, of which, in conjunction with an- 
other great city, the people have a saying, “ Heaven 
is above, but Hang-tcheou and Foo-tcheou are be- 
low.” As a combination of work and pleasure, a 
great manufacturing city, and a fashionable and 
healthful watering-place, this spot has not its equal 
in the world ; for as the province of Tche-Kiang is the 
most celebrated in the empire for its growth of mul- 
berry-trees and the finest silk- worms, so is its capital, 
Hang-tcheou, celebrated for its looms and the qual- 
ity and quantity of those rare silks, satins, and tafietas, 
which no less gladdened the eyes of the moderns 
than they surprised and delighted the wealthy Ro- 
mans, who, not knowing from whence they came, 
believed them to be the handiwork of “furthest 
Iiid.” 

\ 

Hot alone the Manchester, but the Bath or Chel- 
tenham of China, this city is also famous for its schol- 
ars, and as being the residence of the fashionables, if 
such a term may be used to a people who are pro- 
verbial for having kept in manner s^ customs, laws, 


THE INNKEEPER. 


89 


religion, and dress, and even ideas, with little excep- 
tion, to the pattern men and women, fashioned and 
shaped by their early Emperors, Yaou and Yu, some 
four thousand years ago ; for the latter perhaps Hang- 
tcheou is chiefly indebted to its vicinage to the cele- 
brated lake See-ho. The waters are so clear that the 
smallest pebbles may be seen shining like crystals 
from the bottom. In the middle are two islands 
adorned with temples and houses, wherein water 
parties, after taking their pleasure upon the lake, 
resort for rest and refreshment. Upon piles driven 
into the bed of the lake are large stone walks or 
pathways for pedestrians, which stretch from the banks 
to the islands, with openings for boats, across which 
are thrown fancifully wrought bridges. The banks 
are studded with temples, mansions, monasteries, for 
the bonzes or priests of Buddah, as also a small but 
beautiful palace for the use of the Emperor, when he 
makes a tour through his southern p)rovinces. 

Near to this lake, and reposing in a valley beneath 
the foot of a mountain, upon the summit of which, 
as if in guard over the dead for the past forty cen- 
turies, the huge Lui-fung-ta, or tower of thundering 
winds, is the great cemetery, or vale of tombs, a city 
in size, which is kept reverentially clean, and strewn 
at stated periods with fresh flowers, over which 
forests of willows weep for the departed. 

One of the chief beauties of this famous lake I 
had almost forgotten to m.ention. Its sides, where 
the water is shallow, are covered with the clustering 
and rare flowers, Lien-hoa, a plant so choice that it is 


40 


THE WAR TIGER. 


fostered in the innermost recesses of the houses of the 
great and wealthy. Not unlike our own tulips, the 
Lien-hoa has a little hall supported by a small fila- 
ment similar to that formed in lilies ; its color varies, 
being at times violet, white, or a mixture of red and 
white ; it emits a fragrant odor ; the fruit is as big 
as a small nut, and the kernel is white and of good 
taste. The physicians esteem it, and prescribe it 
for weak patients. The leaves are long, and swim 
upon the water, communicating with the root by 
long strings. The dense population, which has ren- 
dered it necessary to turn every atom to account, has 
led the busy-bee genius of the people to make every 
particle of this plant useful. The before-mentioned 
strings are used by the gardeners to wrap round 
their goods, and the white and pulpy root is eaten 
m summer for its cooling properties. 

Although mid-day when they arrived at this city, 
you will not wonder that it was nearly dark by the 
time they reached the gates, when I tell you that the 
river was one vast fioating town of vessels, the 
greater part of which were arranged into streets, 
crowded with passing mandarin junks laden with 
pleasure parties, and decorated with japan, gilding, 
silk streamers, and that emblem of rank, the um- 
brella ; government junks, some of war, and others 
freighted with rice, silks, and other matters, which 
had been given by the different townspeople as taxes 
in lieu of money; then numerous junks laden with 
salt and other commodities, to say nothing of the 
many thousands of San-pans or egg-house boats, \u 


THE INNKEEPER. 


41 


whicli a vast portion of the poorer section of the 
Chinese reside, never being permitted to come ashore 
without especial permission from the governor ; then 
again, the floating islands of trees, with their huts 
formed of poles and matting of bamboo. Indeed 
just such a scene is a picture of the every-day life 
presented on the canals and rivers of this country ; 
but particularly in the southern provinces, which 
so swarm with human beings, that thousands are 
compelled from want of room on land to take refuge 
on the water, where they not only live, but carry on 
their various avocations. 

Notwithstanding the haste of the boys to enter 
the city, as they passed through the gates the great 
bell above them began to sound the first of the five 
watches or divisions into which the night is divided, 
and the crowds who thronged the narrow streets be- 
gan to scamper in every direction to their homes, for 
the law of China very wisely holds “ that the day- 
light is for labor and the night for repose.” Greatly 
fatigued, the young travelers sought the first inn, 
w^here they regaled themselves with a plentiful meal, 
foolishly forgetting the passing time : indeed, before 
they had finished, they heard the sound of the second 
watch, when the landlord made his appearance and 
begged of his honorable guests to take their depar- 
ture, much to the surprise of Nicholas, who had re- 
solved to go no further that night. “ Surely,” said 
he, “the perfection of innkeepers would not turn 
away travelers who are willing to pay for their enter 
tainment and lodging.” 


12 


THE’ WAR TIGER. 


“From what distant province can the honorable 
youth have journeyed, that he knows not that the 
inns are full of the servants and officers of the illus- 
trious Ching-Ti, who has this day arrived, to fill with 
his form of full measure the governor’s sedan, and 
judgment seat ?” said tlie innkeeper. 

“Truly the worthy innkeeper will pardon his 
younger brother for observing that the name of the 
Mandarin of Hang-tcheou is Yang-ti, or the eyeballs 
of his humble guest have become twisted, for Yang- 
ti is the name upon this chop,” replied Chow, 
producing a kind of passport which had been given 
to him at the custom-house before entering the 
city. 

“ Where have beeii the ears of my honorable 
guest that he has not heard that the noble Yang 
has completed the measure of his joys and sorrows 
in this world ?” 

“ Surely the noble governor cannot have passed 
so suddenly to the yellow stream or the shadow 
kingdom of Yen-Vang,” said Chow. 

“ There can be no doubt that it is a sad history, 
for greatly was the good Yang loved, not only in 
this his last province, but in all those over which he 
had ruled, never having retired from a government 
without receiving the boots of honor,” replied the 
innkeeper. 

It may be as well to explain to you, that when the 
governor of a city removes to another province, the 
people exhibit their approbation of his wisdom and 
justice by paying him great honor. When he com- 


THE INNKEEPER. 


43 


mences his journey he finds, for a considerable dis- 
tance along the road, tables covered with silk placed 
at certain intervals, upon some of which are laid 
burnt perfumes, candlesticks, waxlights, meats, pulse, 
and fruits ; and upon others, wine, and tea, ready for 
use. As soon as the popular mandarin appears, the 
people fall upon their knees, bow their heads and 
weep, offer him the things upon the tables, and pre- 
sent him with a pair of new boots ; they then puU 
off his old ones, and preserve them as relics in a 
small cage, which they hang over the gates of the 
city through which he passed. 

“ Will the worthy innkeeper relate the ill-doings 
that could have brought this good magistrate to 
misfortune?” said Nicholas, guessing at the inn- 
keeper’s meaning. 

“ Truly it was no less than a fondness for the reli- 
gion of the Fan-Kwi.” 

Surely that could be no crime under our good 
Emperor, who has befriended the Christians, even 
to permitting the members of his family to be- 
come followers of the Lord of Heaven,” said 
Nicholas. 

“ It is true that the information may be incorrect, 
but such has fallen into thy servant’s ears ; moreover 
it is said that the great Yang’s conduct has offended 
the bonzes at Pekin, who are all-powerful in the 
palace of the Son of Heaven, whom they persuaded 
to send the Christian-exterminating Lord Ching-Ti, 
with an order signed by the vermilion pencil, to put 
Yang to death.” 


44 


THE WAR TIGER. 


“ Has the vile deed been performed ?” said Niclio- 
las hastily. 

“ Hush !” said the host in a low tone. “ Surely 
such language will bring a heavy punishment upon 
thy head.” 

“Has the noble mandarin suffered, O worthy 
man ?” said Nicholas, whose rising indignation 
outweighed his prudence. 

“ It has been wisely said, that it is of little use to 
repine at what can’t be recalled,” replied the inn- 
keeper, adding, “ The soul of the great Yang is now 
in search of a better habitation, but he left this 
world with dignity, for the Son of Heaven, may he 
continue the circle of succession^ remembering his 
servant’s good deeds, mercifully permitted him to 
be his own executioner, and, moreover, gave him the 
choice either of the silken cord, the gold leaf, or his 
own state necklace.” 

“ Truly if the great lords esteem these things as 
favors, thanks be to Tien that thy servant is but a 
small weasel of a personage,” said Chow, making 
some very remarkable grimaces. 

“ When the noble Yang received the message, he 
called for the incense table, burned perfume in honor 
of his royal master, chose the silken cord, and ha\dng 
held it liigh above his head in token of his willing- 
ness to obey the royal will, immediately strangled 
himself,” said the innkeeper, without noticing Chow’s 
interruption. 

That the boys did not shudder at this recital, may 
surprise you who are not perhaps aware that this 


THE INNKEEPER. 


45 


is a common method of showing the royal gratitude 
for past services in the middle kingdom. I^’ot only 
are these three methods used as punishments, but as 
a means of suicide, which in China, as in most un- 
christianized countries, is esteemed a meritorious 
means of slipping through a difficulty. The gold 
leaf being taken in the form of a pill, is washed 
down with water, which is supposed so to expand 
the leaf and extend the stomach that life soon be- 
comes extinct. The death by the necklace is more 
uncommon. There is a bird of the crane kind, on 
the crown of whose head is a scarlet tuft of down or 
velvet skin, to which the Chinese believe the poison 
of the serpents which it eats determines. This crest 
is frequently formed into a bead which is concealed 
in the ornamental necklaces worn by the high officers 
of the empire, for the express purpose of sur- 
mounting worldly difficulties, for let this venom 
but touch the lip, and death instantaneously en- 
sues. 

There is a legend that the life of this bird extends 
to one thousand years, that it is in its prime at sixty, 
when it can sing regularly and beautifully every hour 
of the day, but that it cannot mount trees till it 
reaches its thousandth year. 

When the innkeeper had finished, the clanging of 
the watchman’s bamboo rattle in the streets re- 
minded Nicholas of the lateness of the hour, and he 
said, “ But, even now, the worthy innkeeper has not 
informed his younger brothers where they may find 
a lodging for the night.” 


46 


THE WAK TIGER. 


“ Thy servant, noble youth, must have been born 
in an unfortunate hour, that he cannot oifer the ad- 
vantages of his inn, but the truth has been spoken, 
none but the servants and officers of the great Ching- 
Ti can rest here to-night.” 

“ Surely taels of silver are not so plentiful in this 
city that all will refuse,” said Chow. 

“Truly for less than an ounce of silver two 
travelers might find a lodging in the house of the 
bonzes.” 

“ The priests of Fo are rogues,” said Nicholas ; 
giving utterance to an opinion that has been popular 
in China from all time. 

“ The noble youth possesses a tongue that will 
place him in the cangue, or procure him a branded 
cheek by this hour' to-morrow, if he rules it no 
better,” said the innkeeper ; but before the boy 
could reply, the man’s wife ran into the room, cry- 
ing and beating her breast, and implored of her hus- 
band to follow her to the bedside of their dying 
daughter. 

Shocked that they had been the means of keeping 
the man from so holy a duty, Nicholas apologized, 
and was about leaving the house, when with an 
hysterical laugh, the man said, “ See, O honorable 
youths, this woman has but little faith in the 
power of the holy bonzes, who have been ofiering 
sacrifices to Fo, to save the life of this pearl of my 
existence.” 

“ By what means, O foolish man, can these bonzes 
save thy child’s life? Are not the physicians of 
" ■ - for their skiU ?” 


THE INNKEEPER. 


47 


“ Truly they are less than mice ; they could not 
save my child, and I have dismissed them for a 
holy bonze, whose influence over the god who 
protects the lives of the young, has made him 
promise that my pearl shall not become dissolve<l 
in death.” 

“ She is passing from us now, O my husband,” 
said the unhappy wife. 

“It cannot be, woman; the god is but chastising 
you with a terrible fear, for your want of faith ; for 
how is it possible he can refuse so trifling a favor as 
the life of a young girl, when I have daily offered 
sacrifices of animals, and money, and burned incense 
at his altar ?” 

Shocked at the man’s superstitious belief in the 
power of Fo, and his brother idols, Nicholas made 
one other effort to shake it ; finding, however, that 
it was useless, he paid the bill, purchased a lan- 
tern for himself and another for Chow, and they 
went on their way to the Buddhist monastery, the 
only house wherein he could find shelter for that 
night. 


48 


THE VTAB TIGEK. 


CHAPTER V. 

ad’^:enture in a buddhist monastery. — chow’s 

ENCOUNTER WITH A BONZE. 

To Londoners who find it an easy matter to pass, 
at any time of the night, from one end of the metrop- 
olis to the other, it may appear that Nicholas and 
Chow had no very difficult task before them. Such 
however, was not the case, for in the first place, in- 
stead of open thoroughfares, the great streets of the 
cities of China are barricaded at the ends with chains, 
and the smaller ones with wicket-gates, at each of 
which is placed a watchman, whose business it is to 
question every pedestrian, and through the night to 
keep clanging a piece of hard wood against a hollow 
bamboo cane, for the purpose of showing his watch- 
fulness. 

As the boys, by aid. of their lanterns picked their 
way through the streets, they found them deserted ; 
with the exception of a few stragglers, each of whom 
carried a lantern, upon which was ostentatiously em- 
blazoned his name and rank. Imagine all the gas 
lamps in London extinguished, and their places sup- 
plied by a few dancing will-o’-the-wisp kind of lan- 
terns, and you will have a tolerable notion of the 
appearance of the great cities of China by night. 
Dismal, truly, but perhaps not more so than were the 


A BUDDHIST MONASTERY. 


49 


streets of London not many years since, when they 
were lighted by flickering oil lamps. Again, as were 
those of London at the very period when these ad- 
ventures happened, the streets are so narrow that a 
good-sized carriage or wagon cannot pass through 
without danger to the people, but then the narrow- 
ness of the streets was less pardonable in Londoners 
of that age, than in the Chinese of the present, whose 
great people ride in sedan-chairs, and whose little 
people walk, and convey their goods to and fro in 
narrow carts, hke barrows, with one centre wheel. 
The Celestials are at least consistent in fltting their 
vehicles to their streets, which is more than could be 
said of old London, with its gutter streets and heavy 
lumbering coaches, types of which may be seen every 
day in the London of the present time. 

The street in which the inn was situated was one 
of the principal, and, therefore, of great length, and 
along the pavement, which was in the middle of the 
road, the boys trudged onward, passing every now 
and then beneath one of the numerous Pai-ho, or 
arches, which are erected to the memory of good 
magistrates and virtuous women, till they came to a 
lattice-gate which led into a smaller street, when 
their progress was arrested, for the watchman was 
not at his post. They waited for some time, till 
becoming impatient, Chow kicked the gate, when 
there arose such a queer hissing noise, that the boy 
fell upon his face, exclaiming, “ My master, my mas- 
ter» the demons of Yen-Vang have swallowed the 
watchman, and are guarding the gate in his stead.” 
4 


50 


THE WAR TIGER. 


“Thou art a foolish coward,” said Nicholas, who 
clambered up the gate, and after looking through the 
wicket for a minute let go his hold and laughed im- 
moderately. “ O Chow, Chow, thou idiot ! not to know 
a demon from one of thine own kind ; surely these 
demons are nothing but geese and as the watch- 
man opened the wicket Chow saw that the noise 
which had alarmed him had been caused by a couple 
of those birds, which the watchman had trained to 
cackle and hiss at the slightest noise, so that he 
might take a comfortable nap, with the certainty of 
being aroused when wanted by the hissing. 

“ Truly they must be barbarian geese, for I should 
have understood them had they cackled in Chinese,” 
said Chow. 

To get the gate open was one thing, to pass 
through another, for perceiving neither name nor 
rank upon the lanterns, the watchman determined to 
detain the boys as suspicious characters, and for that 
purpose began to clang upon his bamboo for assis- 
tance, when a personage came up to the wicket, and 
both the watchman and Chow bent their heads res- 
pectfully. From the yellow robe, the string of beads 
around his neck, and his shaven head, Nicholas saw 
that he was a bonze, or priest of Fo. As this rever- 
end gentleman came through the gate he ran his fin- 
gers up and down the beads, and muttered, “ O Mi- 
to-fo,” and so would have passed, but for Chow, who 
said, “ Will the man of prayer pardon an insignifi- 
cant mouse for interrupting his holy meditations ?” 

“ The dogs are vagabonds, perhaps robbers, who 


A BUDDHIST MONASTERY. 51 

have no name, surname, or profession on their lan- 
terns, O holy bonze,” said the polite watchman. 

“ What would the nameless night prowlers with 
the priest of Buddha ?” said the bonze. 

“Truly nothing but a guide to the monastery, 
where they seek a lodging for which they pray of 
the holy father to accept alms.” 

At the word alms the eyes of the bonze sparkled 
with delight, and having lifted his lantern so as to 
get a full view of Nicholas, he said to the watchman, 
“ Thou rascal ! thy dog’s head hath less brains than 
these geese, and thine eyeballs are of lead, or thou 
-wouldst have seen that so well-looking a youth 
must be of honorable descent ; moreover, where was 
thy charity, that thou wouldst not aid a traveler ?” 

“ Surely the man would be wanting in sense who 
should suppose that he had the wisdom and divining 
power of a holy bonze,” re|)lied the trembling guar- 
dian of the night. 

Not deigning, however to notice this observation, 
the bonze conducted the boys along several streets, 
till they reached a building surrounded by a high 
wall, through which, by means of a small gate, they 
passed to an avenue of magnificent trees, paved with 
marble, and which led to a large gateway, guarded 
upon each side by a very ugly stone god. Passing 
through the gateway, they entered a small room 
lighted from the centre by one large lantern, deco- 
rated with portraits of the god Fo, in every variety 
of character. This god, as you may probably know, 
is represented by almost every kind of animal, 


THE WAR TIGER. 


C2 

biped and quadruped, into which during the lapse 
of centuries his soul is supposed to have passed. 
Around this room, which was for every day use, 
were small idols of gilt copper, with ghos-sticks 
burning before them ; on the table, in the centre of 
the room, stood a time measure, that must remind 
you of the period of our own King Alfred. It is 
termed the hourly incense-stick, and is notched at 
equal distances, and as from notch to notch the stick 
takes exactly one hour to burn, it accurately marks 
the passing time. 

This ghos-stick, so named from its being burned 
as incense in the ghos-houses or temples of China, 
is compounded of sawdust mixed with glue and 
scent, and evenly rolled into thin rods of two or 
three feet in length ; in fact, the very same brown 
stick adopted by smokers in this country for its 
pleasant perfume, and continuing to burn till re- 
duced to ashes. Having introduced the boys to 
this room the bonze withdrew, and shortly after- 
ward sent a servant with blankets and sleeping mats, 
upon which they stretched themselves, not a little 
pleased at the opportunity of getting a good sleep 
after their day’s fatigue. 

Long before morning, however, Nicholas was 
suddenly aroused from his slumbers, and to his 
surprise saw the bonze upon the floor, with Chow 
pummeling him with his fists, and crying, “I 
have thee, I have thee, thou slayer of people’s 
parents.” 

Not knowing what to make of this strange scene, 


A BUDDHIST MONASTEKY. 


53 


Nicholas caught Chow by the arm and endeavored 
to pull him away ; this, however, served but to ex- 
cite him the more, for he pummeled at the bonze 
harder than ever. The behavior of the priest was 
still more surprising, for instead of showing any in- 
dignation at this strange treatment, all he said was, 
“ Harm the youth not my son ; he is possessed with 
a demon ; he sleeps, poor boy, and mistakes me for 
some terrible enemy.” 

This explanation Nicholas soon found to be cor- 
rect, for poor Chow had been battling in his sleep ; 
but how the bonze came into the boy’s clutches was 
a mystery, and one that, worn out as he was wdth 
fatigue, he did not just then care about solving, sc 
that he could get Chow to his mat again, which after 
considerable trouble he managed, by telling him that 
he was an officer of justice and would see that his 
enemy should be punished. After which Nicholas 
threw himself upon his mat, fell into a sound sleep, 
and slept till he was awakened by the deep tones of 
the monastery bell. 

During the morning meal he related the adventure 
to the much-puzzled Chow, who could remember 
nothing but that he had dreamed that the slayer of 
his father suddenly entered the room, and after 
prowling about for some time, first searched the robe 
of Nicholas, and then came to his bed, when, think- 
ing he -was going to kill him, he attacked him in self- 
defence ; though how his enemy should have become 
transformed into the bonze, who certainly had no 


54 


THE WAR TIGER. 


business in the room, was a puzzle that he could not 
make out. 

The explanation of the bonze was, that he had 
entered his visitors’ apartment to see that they had 
been properly attended to by the servant — an ex- 
planation not at all satisfactory to Chow, who as 
soon as the priest left the room said, “ Is my mas- 
ter’s girdle safe? for these holy fathers are great 
rogues.” 

Alarmed for the safety of his letters, Nicholas 
examined his girdle ; they were safe ; when shocked 
at his insinuation, the repentant Chow exclaimed, 
“ Truly, my master, Chow is less than the least of 
little dogs, and niust crave the good father’s 
forgiveness,” — which he took the first opportunity 
of doing, by falling upon all fours before the 
priest and knocking his forehead to the ground, 
till the latter in pity lifted the boy upon his legs 
again. 


THRASHING THE GODS. 


55 


CHAPTER VI. 

THRASHING THE GODS. THE BOYS TAKEN PRISONERS. 

Anxious to deliver liis father’s letter to the Chris- 
tian priest, yet fearful of making inquiries where he 
was to be found, now he had heard of the governor’s 
enmity to Christianity, Nicholas determined to make 
the effort alone, and having thanked the bonze for his 
hospitality and presented him with half an ounce of 
silver, he was about proceeding in his search, when 
the latter solicited him to join in the morning pray- 
ers of the monastery ; a solicitation he was too prudent 
to refuse, for fear of awakening the suspicions of the 
bonzes, whom he knew to be the main persecutors of 
his religion. 

As for Chow, like the majority of his countrymen 
he was of no religion in particular, but a little of 
each of the sects into which the Chinese are divided ; 
Confucian, Buddhist, and Taouist ; he, therefore, wil- 
lingly followed Nicholas, who, with something like 
a feeling of disgust, entered a spacious hall, the 
ceiling of which shone with gold and japan. In the 
centre were placed three colossal representative gods 
of the past, present, and future — the Buddha who 
is, and the Buddha who will be — with a vase of in- 
cense and a lamp of burning tea oil before each. At 
the sound of a small bell, a number of yellow-robed 


56 


THE WAE TIGER. 


priests, with heads shaven, clean and oily as bladders 
of lard, made their appearance and commenced the 
ceremony ; one rang a bell violently, while another 
clattered like a watchman upon a hollow bamboo 
cane. This clamor, was for the purpose of arousing 
the attention of the gods, which, after a few minutes, 
being supposed to be accomplished, the whole society 
of priests knocked their heads upon the ground re- 
peatedly ; and when tired, they began to chant hymns 
and create a fearful din by playing rough music upon 
much rougher instruments; after which they marched 
out of the hall regularly and in double file. Not a 
little pleased at the conclusion of the ceremony, 
Nicholas followed, taking care, however, on leaving 
the building, to choose an opposite direction to the 
bonzes. 

The boys had not walked more than a hundred 
yards, w'hen they came to the foot of a small hillock, 
which ^served as a base or pedestal for a shrine, in 
which, upon a raised platform, like a small boy upon 
a tall stool, sat an ugly little god with a dragon’s 
head, so glittering, however, with gold and gaudy 
colors, that they knew it to be a private idol that 
some foolish devotee had decorated at his own cost, 
with a view to obtain some especial service from 
heaven. When within earshot of this deity, they 
observed two bonzes come from behind the shrine, 
attended by a servant, who, having prepared the in- 
cense table commenced to bow their heads to the 
ground and mutter their prayers. 

Not wishing either to join in, or interrupt the 


THRASHING THE GODS. 


67 


priests’ devotions, the boys took up their position be- 
hind the trunk of a large tree, where they witnessed 
the following scene : — 

Scarcely had the bonzes commenced their head- 
knockings when a mob of the lower class of people, 
with sticks and hammers in their hands, came 
clamoring toward the shrine. They were led by a 
man, who had no sooner reached the astute and 
kneeling priests, than with one kick he sent them 
rolling over each other, saying at the same time, 
“ Get thee hence, thou rogues of bonzes, and let us 
deal with this villainous god.” The bonzes, seeing 
so many persons, arose and scampered off to their 
monastery for help, when the leader^ whom Nicho- 
las now recognized as his friend, the innkeeper, 
approached the idol, saying, “ How now, thou dog 
of a spirit ! Have I not fed thee, lodged thee hand- 
somely, and offered incense each day at the cost of 
half my hard earnings, that thou shouldst save thfj 
life of my daughter, who, notwithstanding, has been 
carried to the yellow stream ? Let us punish him, 
my friends, that he may deceive no other father.” 
As he uttered the last words, he struck off the arm 
of the god with such force that it struck a bonze, 
who was at that moment coming toward the idol in 
advance of some twenty of his brethren ; at which 
the people cried, “ This is indeed a just retribution 
upon the vile bonze.” 

“Do not the people fear the vengeance of the 
gods, that they behave thus ?” said the stricken 
priest, calmly, and dissembling his rage. 


58 


THE WAR TIGER. 


“ Truly the gods may render us unfortunate,” said 
one cowardly fellow, and the superstitious crowd 
hesitated. Perceiving his advantage, the bonze fol- 
lowed it up. “ Surely,” said he, “ the people are 
not unreasonable, like this man, who is ungrateful to 
the gods for taking his daughter, as if, forsooth, his 
child were better than the children of his neigh- 
bors.” 

“ This is true. Why should one complain that he 
is not more fortunate than the rest ?” said the 
cowardly voice. 

“ As for the worthy Sing, the gods may pardon 
him, in consideration of his great grief; but then 
he must desist from this profanity,” said the 
bonze. 

“ The bonze is generous, and his words are reason- 
able,” said another. 

“Are my friends unjust that they will not listen 
to an injured man, whose injuries may be their own 
to-morroAv ?” said the innkeeper. 

“ This is reasonable also ; let us hear Sing,” cried 
several voices. 

At that moment, Nicholas, who feared lest the 
artful bonzes should get the better of the dispute, 
came forward, and said, “ Why should the worthy 
Sing waste words? surely he has been sufficiently 
injured; the measure of his grief is full, for he will 
leave no descendant to fulfil the necessary offices at 
his tomb.” 

“ The words of the honorable youth are wise,” 
said the fickle crowd; and Nicholas continued, 


THRASHING THE GODS. 


59 


“That there has been robbery, there can be no 
doubt, my friends; for, notwithstanding the god 
promised to cure the daughter of this worthy man, 
she has passed to the yellow stream, and, therefore, 
he Is unworthy of his quality of godship, and should 
be punished; therefore, in justice to the worthy 
Sing, let this temple be pulled down, and the stupid 
idol pay the penalty in his own person.” 

To which the priest endeavored to reply, but the 
people would not listen to him, and acting upon the 
suggestion of Nicholas, threw a cord round the god’s 
neck, pulled him to the ground, and belabored him 
with sticks and hammers. 

During the proceeding the priests, who were too 
wise to lose their tempers, addressed a knot of 
lookers-on, vehemently threatening them with ter- 
rible misfortunes, but at the same time declaring, 
that if Sing would come to some agreement, the god, 
who was of a short temper, would do what was 
reasonable on his part and prevent future evils. This 
had the desired effect upon all but Sing and some of 
his friends, who continued to belabor the idol till the 
converts to the bonze’s opinion drove them away, 
when, becoming broken into antagonistic parties, 
they threw aside their weapons and fought each 
other with their fists, till a body of yah-yu, or city 
police, entered upon the ground, and seizing Sing, 
the principal bonze, and the two boys, as the chief 
rioters, hurried them off to the police tribunal. 

As for the mob, no sooner had the prisoners been 
removed, than mortified at the profanity into which 


60 


THE WAR TIGER. 


they had been hurried, they gathered together the 
fragments of the deity, stuck them together as well 
as possible, washed him, and fell at his feet, exclaim- 
ing, “ In truth we have been a little too hasty, but 
then your godship has been a little too slow in per- 
forming your promises, and thus brought the beating 
upon yourself. But stiU it is a good saying, that 
‘what has been done can’t be undone.’ Let us, 
therefore, think no more of this matter, and if you 
will forget what has passed we will repair thy temple 
and gild you over again.” 

For fear that my reader may think this episode 
exaggerated, I must assure him that similar scenes 
are even now of frequent occurrence — and why not ? 
For although idolaters, the Chinese are neither en- 
thusiasts nor fanatics. With the greater part, the 
worship of idols is an inheritance which it would be 
impossible to reject; — it is custom they worship. 
Moreover, like ourselves, they are a business-like 
people, and will have money’s worth for money; 
therefore, if they pay an idol for a certain quantity 
of work, and he does not complete his contract, they 
give him a sound thrashing — and the principle is not 
a bad one after all. 


TREACHERY OF THE BONZES. 


6i 


CH^TER Vn. 

TEEACHEEY OF THE BONZES. ^NICHOLAS SENT 

TO PRISON AS A TRAITOR. 

With the proverbial rudeness of most small offi- 
cials, the yah-yu threw cords around the arms of the 
prisoners and dragged them along the streets, amid 
the jeers and laughter of the populace, who, enjoyed 
the prospect of the probable punishment of so serious 
an offence as rioting, namely, being led about the 
streets with the cangue, a wooden collar as large as 
a small table, around their necks ; but in this the 
Chinese crowd was not worse than others in Europe, 
for, with shame be it said, a tendency to indulge in 
the minor miseries of their feUows is the cruel pro- 
pensity of most masses. 

When they came to the tribunal they found it 
crowded with people, who were standing upon 
either side of the hall, so as to form a lane by 
which to approach the mandarin, who was sitting 
at a table, upon which stood a box of bamboo 
reeds, tipped with yellow; upon his left side sat 
the secretary, and upon his right stood three men 
with ominous-looking bamboo canes in their hands, 
The first case heard was that of a youth whose pro- 
pensity for gaming had led him to squander a large 


62 


THE WAR TIGER. 


sum of money lent to him by his father for the pur- 
pose of commencing business. I must tell you 
however, that before bringing the boy before a tribunal, 
the father had fruitlessly tried every method of kind- 
ness. Having listened patiently, the mandarin severly 
reprimanded the youth, then taking fifty of the yellow- 
tipped reeds threw them on the ground as a signal 
for the men with canes to give him fifty blows. Be- 
fore, however, they could obey, his mother, with 
tears in her eyes, threw herself at the mandarin’s 
feet, begging of him to pardon her son. Being a 
kind-hearted man the magistrate complied, but or- 
dering to be brought to him a volume written by one 
of the emperors for the instruction of his subjects, 
and opening it at a particular part, said, “ Promise O 
youth, to renounce gambling and to listen to your 
father’s directions, and I will pardon you this time ; 
but that you may not forget, go and kneel in the 
gallery of the hall of audience and learn by heart this 
chapter on filial obedience, which till you repeat and 
solemnly promise to observe obedience, you shall 
not depart from this tribunal.” 

The youth being delighted at this lenient sentence 
bowed his forehead to the earth, and, moreover, I 
must tell you, kept his promise, although he was 
three days learning the task. Such being the spirit 
of the laws, and the paternal mildness with ■which 
they are for the most part carried out, excepting 
only in cases of high treason, we need not won- 
der that this great population has submitted to 
their rule for four thousand years. 


TKEACHERY OF THE BONZES. 


63 


When this case was over the chief of the yah-yn 
bowed to the ground and charged his prisoners gen- 
erally with rioting to the disturbance of the public 
peace. 

“ What has the priest of Fo to say to this disgrace- 
ful charge ? let him open his lips,” said the mandarin. 
Whereupon the bonze fell upon his knees and accus- 
ed the innkeeper of attacking the idol and leading a 
mob to destroy the monastery. 

“ What sayest the innkeeper ? for surely the offence 
is serious,” said the mandarin. 

Then, bowing to the ground, the innkeeper related 
the morning’s adventure, stating that but for the 
assistance of Nicholas and Chow, the bonze would 
have killed him, adding, “Truly, O jewel of justice, 
thy mean servant demands the punishment of this 
rascal bonze and his trumpery god, who, notwith- 
standing the sums paid to them, have permitted his 
only child to be carried from this life.” 

Having listened patiently to both sides, the man- 
darin said, “ It is true that two offences have been 
committed, the one against the public peace, and the 
other against a private person. The former, being 
the most heinous, must be first dealt with; and, 
as without the bonze and the innkeeper, there could 
have been no such disturbance, let both be corrected 
with twenty blows. As for the two youths, who 
were drawn into this disturbance, let them pay half 
a tael each to some poor person to receive ten blows 
for them.” 

The sentence having gone forth, the men with the 


64 : 


THE WAR TIGER. 


bamboos caught hold of the culprits, threw them 
upon the floor, and they received a similar punish- 
ment to that dealt out by a schoolmaster upon a re- 
fractory pupil ; after which, the delinquents, smarting 
with pain, humbly returned thanks for this benevo- 
lent and fatherly correction. 

“ As for the second ofience said the mandarin, “ it 
IS clear that the bonze is either a rogue or no good 
judge of the powers of the different gods, and knew 
not to which, to apply for this particular favor, an 
ignorance that has caused the innkeeper to lose his 
goods ; and, in either case, is unfit for his office ; 
therefore, if he is found within the city walls after 
this night, he shall be placed in the cangue for three 
moons. As for the god himself, who is the principal 
party concerned, let him be plucked down from his 
seat as a useless and malicious deity.” 

Thus compelled, by custom, to recognize the foolish 
superstition of Fo, although he no more believed in 
it than you do, the mandarin humorously punished 
the bonze. 

The wily priest, however, had not quite played 
out his game, so, dissembling his rage at the result 
of the trial, he fell upon his knees, saying,' “ Pardon, 
O everffiowing stream of justice, but the meanest and 
most insignificant servant of Fo, dares claim a reward 
for a great act.” 

“ What words are these, thou dog of a bonze ?” 
said the angry official. 

“ If the eyeballs of thy contemptible servant are 
stj-aight in their sockets, he has seen placards bearing 


TREACHERY OF THE BONZES. 


65 


the character of the illustrious tsong-tou (viceroy) 
of the province, promising twenty taels for any fol- 
lower of the Christian priests, whose houses of 
prayer have been so wisely destroyed. 

What useless words are these, for where in this 
city is such a dog to be found, since they were 
hunted do^^m by the illustrious governor? may he 
live a thousand years,” replied the mandarin. 

“ This was a terrible surprise to Nicholas, for not 
only did it convince him that the persecution of the 
Christians had commenced, but that his own mission 
had somehow been discovered by the priest ; nor was 
he disappointed, when the latter said, “ Truly, O 
grand canal of justice, that turbulent youth is even 
now on a treasonable errand to the Christian priest, 
Adam, who has so traitorously fled the city.” 

“ These are dog’s words, thou rogue of a bonze,” 
said the boy. 

Not regarding the interruption, the priest added, 
as he placed a paper in the hand of the mandarin, 
“ The dragon vision of the lord of justice will dis- 
cover to him that his servant’s words are pearls of 
truth.” 

Having glanced at the paper, the mandarin said 
sternly to Nicholas, “Thou art young to be con- 
cerned in treason, and yet these characters warn the 
priest, Adam, against the great Ching-Ti, whom the 
anonymous writer tells him is about to arrive at 
Hang-tcheou, specially charged by the Son of 
Heaven to root out the Christian priests.” 

“ As this is the first time, O mandarin, that thy 

5 


66 


THE WAJl TIGER. 


servant’s ears drink in this intelligence he must have 
been innocent of the contents of that packet,” replied 
Nicholas. 

“ The youth is young ; but, like the body of a 
snake, his words are twirling and slippery. It is 
true, those characters may not have reached his 
eyes, but it is equally true that he was the bearer, 
for the cover is even now in his girdle,” said the 
priest. 

“ Thy servant, O mandarin, cannot deny that he 
bore the letter, but it was in ignorance that it was 
a crime,” said Nicholas, taking the envelope from 
his vest, now fully convinced that the bonze had 
picked his girdle. 

“Although it is certain that the writer is a 
traitor, it is not equally so that this youth is an 
accomplice,” said the mandarin, after examining the 
envelope. 

“The dog is a Christian, O lord of justice ; and in 
the name of the Son of Heaven, I claim the twenty 
taels,” said the bonze, forgetting the submission due 
to a magistrate, in his rage and fear that Nicholas 
might escape. 

“Thy words are dirt, thou turbulent rogue, for 
it is not clear that the youth is a Christian,” said 
the angry mandarin, adding kindly to Nicholas, 
“Let the youth deny this charge and he shall be 
believed, for his words are straight as the flying 
arrow.” 

Here was a chance, for it was evident the man- 
darin was his friend. Still, notwithstanding that 


TKEACHEEY OF THE BONZES. 


67 


imprisonment for life, if not speedy death, stared 
him in the face, Nicholas was too brave to forswear 
his Saviour, and he replied, “If to be a Christian, 
O mandarin, is to merit death, then am I ready to 
die.” 

Then the good-natured, but disappointed magis- 
trate said sorrowfully, “ The youth is as brave as he 
is honest, and deserves a better fate ; yet must the 
commands of the great tsong-tou be observed, there- 
fore let the youth be conveyed to the great prison to 
await his sentence. Without a word or the move- 
ment of a muscle, the boy permitted the attendants 
to bind his arms. 

This was too much for Chow, who, with a leap 
Hke that of a wounded hare, cried, “ The priest, O 
great lord, is a midnight thief” But such a demon- 
stration being against the rules of decency, the officers 
seized and silenced the boy by clapping a gag in his 
mouth. Then the mandarin ordered twenty taels 
to be given to the bonze, and the latter having made 
the customary bow was about to depart, wffien the 
magistrate said, “Now priest, relate by what means 
that letter came into thy possession, for it is a maxim 
that justice should be equally balanced.” 

Then the bonze related how he met the boys, and 
took them to the monastery, adding that as they 
were passing through a passage the letter having 
fallen from the youth’s girdle, he picked it up, and 
divining that its contents were treasonous, retained 
the document for examination. 

“ These are dog’s words,” exclaimed Chow, from 


68 


THE WAR TIGER. 


whose mouth the gag had been taken by the man« 
darin’s order ; “ the priest is a rogue and a rat, for 
he stole the paper at night while my noble master 
slept, and although for hours thy servant believed it 
was a dream, and mistook the bonze for an enemy, 
he now remembers that after filching the letter from 
the girdle, the rogue opened the envelope, stole the 
contents, and then by some mysterious means of his 
own closed it again.” 

The bonze being about to reply, the mandarin in- 
terrupted him, saying, “ Truly has it been said that 
although eggs are close things, the chicks will out, 
for the rogue forgot to explain how the letter could 
leave the pocket of its owner without the envelope. 
The theft is clear, and it is but justice to the state 
that the thief should receive fifty blows, and pay 
twenty taels of silver.” This sentence was speedily 
executed upon the roaring coward, whose back was 
still sore with the first beating, and so he left the tri- 
bunal considerably worse off than he had come be- 
fore it. 


CHOW IN PUKSUIT OF THIEVES. 


69 


CHAPTER Vm. 

enow SETS OUT TO DISCOVER SOME THIEVES. 

It was with no little distress of mind that Chow, 
who now loved Nicholas as a brother, parted with 
him at the gates of the prison. He tore his hair, heat 
his breast, and roared and capered as if in bodily as 
well as mental agony. Never should he see his noble 
master again; the wicked viceroy would kill him. 
O that he had not been a Christian, or so unwise as to 
admit it ! These, and many other foolish things, pass- 
ed through his mind, till he became wearied and 
fatigued. When more calm, he began to upbraid 
himself with folly and cowardice, for giving way to 
useless grief instead of setting his wits to work to 
aid him. 

Like most Chinese, Chow believed, or at least fol- 
lowed, the mongrel creed of the country, and he 
proposed to himself to seek the aid of the gods ; al- 
though even his faith in their powers had become 
weakened by the exhibition of the morning; at 
length, however, it occurred to him to seek the inn- 
keeper, who being well to do, and an old inhabitant 
of Hang-tcheou, could if willing, give material assis- 
tance ; if not willing, thought Chow, he must be the 
most ungrateful of human beings. So he went off to 


TO 


THE WAR TIGER. 


Sing, who was not only glad to see him, hut invited 
him to live at the inn until they could hit upon some 
good scheme to rescue Nicholas ; and so, that night, 
they talked and talked the matter over, till, becoming 
tired, they went to bed to sleep on it. 

The next morning they compared notes as to their 
sleeping thoughts. The result of Chow’s was to 
get a mob together to burst open the prison gates ; 
at which very wise suggestion Sing laughed loudly, 
greatly to the disgust of Chow, who became very 
angry, as he fancied the innkeeper doubted his cour- 
age ; but Avhen Sing explained a little plan of his own 
he capered about jo jTully, and begged that they might 
commence immediately. 

“Let us first ask the gods for a fortunate day,” 
said Sing. 

“ Then will not the worthy Sing seek a temple at 
once? ” said Chow. 

This being agreed to, they started off to the sub- 
urbs, where, in a retired spot, near the great lake, 
they found a divining temple. 

These temples, which are sprinkled through the 
country, are always open for the convenience of the 
people, who enter upon nothing of importance, whe- 
ther it bo marrying, burying, buying, selling, house- 
building, party-giving, or setting out upon a journey, 
without first seeking to discover in the cup of destiny 
a fortunate day or hour for the proposed undertaking. 

Upon the altar stood a large wooden cup, filled 
wdth small sticks, marked wdth certain mystic char- 
acters, representing both good and ill luck. Taking 


CHOW IN PURSUIT OF THIEVES. 71 

up this cup, Sing began to give it sharp quick jerks, 
while Chow, taking hold of a book that was hanging 
to the wall, searched for marks to correspond with 
those upon the sticks which might be thrown to the 
ground by Sing’s jerking. With serious counten- 
ances they went through this performance. Sing be- 
lieving that by a peculiar scientific twist of his wrist 
he could jerk out a few sticks of luck. For some 
time, however, the sticks were obstinate, and would 
not move ; then a sharper jerk and one jumped out, 
then another, and another, three in all ; and Chow, 
having examined the luck spots very earnestly, 
groaned with despair, for neither bore the required 
mark. Then, to propitiate the god of wood, paint, and 
gold leaf, they burned incense and tinsel paper, and, by 
way of reaching the cupidity of the deity, for it is diffi- 
cult to made a Chinese believe that even a god will 
“ do something for nothing,” they placed some cop- 
per coins upon the altar, enough, I suppose, to satisfy 
his greedy godship ; for when, at the risk of sprain- 
ing his wrist. Sing gave the next jerk, out jumped 
two of the lucky spotted sticks, and the oblique eyes 
of Chow began to smile so satisfactorily that there 
really appeared to be some danger of their meeting 
across his nose and melting into one big orb in the 
middle of his forehead. Holding the sticks above 
his head, the boy capered about with delight, crying, 
“ Thanks to Tien, the day will be fortunate, for the 
god has promised, and there is no rogue of a bonze 
present to persuade him from his good intentions.” 

As for Sing, he was no less pleased, for, notwith- 


72 


THE WAR TIGER. 


standing his previous experience, his faith was 
entire in the cup of destiny, as it was, indeed, in 
the gods. 

Chow’s delight was almost as great as if his master 
had been already rescued. However, as soon as the 
first ebullition had subsided he began to think how 
he should commence operations, and so, puzzling his 
brains, he walked by the side of Sing, who was also 
quietly endeavoring to think out some grand plan of 
proceeding. Thus they proceeded till they came 
near the walls of the city, when their attention was 
aroused by a terrible discord. Hot a dozen yards 
from them was a small house (like all Chinese habi- 
tations, one story high), before which stood the wall 
of respect, so called, because like a brick curtain it 
hides the domicile from the gaze of strangers. Hear 
the doorway stood an elderly man with two pieces of 
metal, which he kept clanging against each other, 
stopping only at intervals to fulminate at the very 
compass of his voice, many fearful curses and maledic- 
tions against thieves who had plundered his house, 
fully believing that by the agency of the gods these 
curses would reach and crush the thieves, wherever 
they might be. 

“ It is only old Hoang, the retired innkeeper, ” said 
Sing cooly, as if not at all regretting the misfortunes 
of his successful rival. He could not, however, have 
possessed any such paltry feeling, for he added, 
“ Will the venerable Hoang permit his younger 
brother to assist him in discovering these rogues? ” 

“ The ofler of the worthy Sing is good and grateful 


CHOW IN PURSUIT OF THIEVES. 


73 


to Lis mean brother, but alas ! nothing can avail old 
Hoaug, for the Fong-Choui is his enemy, and will not 
be satisfied till his house is destroyed,” was the reply. 

To explain what I must tell you, that it is one of 
the most remarkable and foolish beliefs of the CeleS' 
tials, that, apart from sanitary reasons, the situation 
of a house may effect the happiness and fortunes not 
only of its owner, but his descendants for several gen- 
erations. The demon who exercises this baneful in- 
fluence is the Fong-Choui, or wind and water. Thus, 
if a neighbor (it had been Hoang’s case) builds his 
house in a contrary direction and so that one of its 
corners is placed opposite your own, your destiny is 
fixed, your only remedy being to have it immediately 
pulled down. To obtain the removal of the house in 
question, Hoang had applied to the mandarin, but as 
that officer had received a larger bribe from the neigh- 
bor than he could afford, the official recommended 
the old man to pull down his owm house ; but as this 
would have ruined him, he had had recourse to the 
only other remedy, which was, to erect upon the roof 
of his house a monster with a dragon’s head and a 
large forked tongue, so pointed at the unfortunate 
corner that it would frighten away the Fong-Choui. 
That wind and watery personage, however, was not 
so easily frightened, for the next day some thieves 
entered his house and effected a very clever robbery. 

By the aid of a mysterious engine (known, I sup- 
pose, only to the thieves of China), which will burn 
great holes in the thickest wood without causing 
either scent or flame, the rogues had entered Hoang’s 


74 


THE WAR TIGER. 


dwelling in the night so quietly that when the old 
gentleman awoke in the morning he found his bed 
without curtains or coverlid, and the room without 
furniture, all of which, besides other things of value, 
had been taken from the house. 

“ Surely thy dogs of servants must have been ao 
complices,” said Chow. 

“ ISTot so, youth, for although I slept deep into the 
day, when I arose the servants were all in such a deep 
slumber that I believed them in the sleep of death.” 

“ Surely my elder brother will seek the mandarin, 
and have the dogs’ heads searched for,” said Sing. 

“ Alas ! O worthy Sing, thy unhappy servant is un- 
der the baneful influence of the Fong-Choui, and the 
mandarin dares not interfere.” 

Feeling deeply for the poor man, and not liking the 
idea of the thieves escaping so. easily, Chow asked, 
“ Has the worthy and honorable Hoang sought the 
mandarin? ” 

“ It would be useless youth, without, indeed, a stran- 
ger would interfere, and so break the chaim of the 
Fong-Choui.” 

“ With the will of the venerable Hoang, his younger 
brother will seek the tribunal of police,” said Chow. 

Delighted with the ofler, Hoang led them through 
the rooms of his house, which Chow examined with 
the talent of a detective police ofiicer, and after pac- 
ing about for some time he stumbled. Looking to 
see the cause, he saw it was a small square box. 
“ See, ” he said, “ the robbers in their flight have 
dropped some of their plunder.” 


CHOW IH PUESUIT OF THIEVES. 75 

“ Surely that box must belong to the villains, for it 
has never before darkened my eyes,” said Hoang. 

“ Then by the toe of the Son of Heaven we have 
some clue to the way in which the robbery was effec- 
ted,” said Chow, as he opened the box and took out 
a little pyramid, resembling our own pastiles. Plac- 
ing one to his nose he said, “ It is the baneful drug 
of Setchuen. Light but one and place it near the 
nostrils of a sleeper, and it will be many hours before 
he can be awakened. In this manner, O venerable 
friend, has the house been robbed, — its inmates were 
under the influence of the drug. ” 

“ Thy discovery is great, and may lead to the cap- 
ture of the thieves. Would that so poor a man could 
reward such a benafactor. 

However, as time was an object to Chow for the 
success of some plan, which from the cunning bright- 
ness that flitted through his eye seemed just then to 
have crossed his mind, he stopped the garrulous gra- 
titude of the' old gentleman by begging the box of 
pastiles as his reward. This being granted, he took 
a very formal leave, promising not to rest till he had 
seen the mandarin himself. 


76 


THE WAR TIGER. 


CHAPTER IX. 

CHOW OUTWITS A GREAT MANDARIN, AND SETS OUT TO 
RESCUE HIS MASTER. 

As they walked to the inn Chow explained to Sing 
his plan for the rescue of Nicholas, which, after some 
serious consideration and many words of advice, the 
innkeeper approved; but as it could not be put in 
operation before evening, as soon as they reached the 
inn they went into one of the inner apartments, and 
while they refreshed themselves with a good meal, 
chatted over the details. 

After they had completed their arrangements. 
Sing led Chow to an outbuilding, in which were two 
oblong coffins, the one sealed down, the other with 
the hd half off. The first contained the body of Sing’s 
daughter, of whom he had been so fond in life that 
in death he kept her in the same room with the open 
coffin which had been presented to him by the girl 
as a filial offering. 

Such gifts as this, which I dare say you will think 
a sombre one, are by no means more rare among the 
Chinese than the preservation in their own houses of 
the bodies of those they have loved. And just above 
an altar upon which incense was burning, hung a 
portrait of the dead girl, before which silently and 


CHOW EESCUES HIS MASTER. 


77 


with cheeks damped with tears of memory, Sing 
threw himself reverentially, and prayed fervently for 
the other world happiness of his child. Having, with 
as much real sympathy as merecourtesy,joinedinthe 
ceremony for a short time, Chow arose, and left the 
bereaved parent throwing cuttings of silver paper up- 
on the burning dish, in the belief that in the next world 
it would change into real money for his daughter’s 
use. 

As when Chow reached the police tribunal he 
found it closed for the day, he clattered upon a large 
gong or kettle drum, affixed to the door, a piece oi 
great daring on his part ; for if his business did not 
strike the mandarin as being of the greatest impor- 
tance, he might make sure of some fifty blows for his 
impudence, for the public officers in China are quite 
as averse to doing too much for the public money 
as many that I could name of our own. 

The door was opened and the boy was shown into 
the hall of audience, where he had not long to wait 
before the mandarin and four bamboo sticks in waiting 
made their appearance. “ How, dog ! Why this clat- 
ter at our gates when the tribunal is closed?” asked 
the surly grandee. 

“ Will the magnificent fountain of justice give his 
unworthy servant a private hearing ?” said tne bold 
boy, glancing significantly at the bamboo sticks in 
waiting. 

“ Let the fellow’s mouth be opened with ten blows 
for his impudence,” said the polite magistrate ; but as 
the men were about to obey, Chow thrust his hand 


78 


THE WAR TIGER. 


into his robe, and pulling out a letter threw it into the 
great man’s lap, a piece of effrontery so beyond all 
precedent that the bamboo sticks in waiting stood 
aghast and ready at a glance from the mandarin to im- 
molate the profane boy. The magistrate, however, 
no sooner opened the paper than in tremulous tones 
he exclaimed, “ Leave us alone, this fellow has matters 
of private importance to communicate.” 

This order having been obeyed, Chow broke 
through the rules of decency and etiquette by speak- 
ing before he was spoken to. “ A crime has been 
committed within thy district, O mandarin, yet justice 
sleeps. Surely this is not according to the sacred 
books,” said he. 

“What dog’s words are these? of what crime 
speaks the youth ?” said the magistrate mildly. 

“ According to the sacred books, O mandarin, it is 
the magistrate’s duty to discover and punish crime 
within his district. Yet, notwithstanding the house 
of the retired innkeeper Hoang is in a well-guarded 
quarter of the city, it has been broken into and its 
furniture and valuables stolen; moreover what is 
more surprising in so populous a district, the thieves 
have escaped.” 

“What words are these?” said the mandarin 
again, being in fact so troubled that he knew not 
what to say. 

“ Truly, it is a shrewd maxim, ‘ that large fowls 
will not eat small grain,’ yet, the largest may be 
choked if too greedy, for there are still larger birds 
to swallow them ; in turn even thou mayst be stripped 


CHOW EESCUES HIS MASTEE. 


T9 

of thy rank and offices, if not strangled,” said Chow, 
adding, “Would the lord of justice wish straighter 
words ?” 

The words proved straight enough to go direct to 
the mark, for the mandarin fell upon his knees and 
begged Chow to accept half his fortune, and although 
it would be letting his rogue off cheaply enough, the 
rescue of Nicholas was his object, and he promised 
to forego using his knowledge of the great man’s 
delinquency, providing that he would give him an 
order under the official seal that would admit him to 
his master’s prison. Rejoiced to purchase his safety 
so easily, the mandarin not only gave the order, but 
also promised to see that Hoang’s property was res- 
tored to him within a few days. After this Chow 
gave a paper to the magistrate, and left the tribunal 
well satisfied" with the result of his visit. 

Now, as I dare say you are anxious to know how 
it came about that so poor a boy could have such 
power over so great a personage, I will tell you, and 
you will obtain some little knowledge how public 
affairs are managed in China, and moreover, learn that 
dishonesty may sometimes place the greatest official 
beneath the thumb of the smallest of persons, as 
indeed it happened in this case. 

When Chow was chattering over his plans with 
the innkeeper he examined the box of pastiles, and 
on taking them out, discovered a paper at the bottom, 
evidently placed there for security, as the thieves 
could not have dreamt of leaving their most valuable 
implements behind. That paper was an order for four 


I 


80 THE WAR TIGER. 

men, whose names were mentioned, to pass to the 
boats on the canal, with any quantity of goods, with- 
out questioning, and was signed with the character 
of the mandarin, which accounted for the thieves get- 
ting off with so many things, but it also proved that 
the mandarin was in connivance with them, and was 
in the habit of granting these passes to robbers in re- 
turn for a large bribe. N ow, as Chow could write 
very well, he immediately composed a letter to the 
mandarin, telling him the whole transaction, and, 
moreover, that the thieves were well known to a 
friend of his, who, if he did not return by a certain 
time that evening, would disclose the whole matter 
to the viceroy ; therefore it was not to be wondered 
that the great man trembled and implored of Chow 
to accept half his fortune, for had it been brought 
before the viceroy he would, as Chow more than 
hinted, in all probability have been strangled. 


ESCAPE OF J^ICIIOLAS. 


81 


CHAPTER X. 

ESCAPE OF NICHOLAS FEOil PEISON. 

Having, at the same time, secured an order for 
admittance to Nicholas and the restitution of old 
Hoang’s property, Chow went in search of a shop, 
where he purchased a rope of silk, and returned to 
the prison, which was next to the tribunal. 

At that time far in advance, and even now not 
much worse than our own, the prisons of China are 
large and spacious, and although some of the most 
criminal of the inmates are loaded with chains, the 
greater number are peraiitted to take exercise and con- 
verse with each other in an open court during the day. 
Their health is cared for, — if any are ill a physician at- 
tends them, and when a death takes place a report is 
sent to the Emperor, who issues orders for an examina- 
tion, something like our inquests, into the cause, when 
should it appear that any of the officers are at fault, they 
are immediately degraded and punished. When a 
prisoner dies the body is not permitted to pass through 
the ordinary doorway, but through an opening reserv- 
ed for the purpose. It is seldom, however, that 
deaths occur in these places, for should a person, es- 
pecially above the lowest rank in life, be in danger, 
he or his friends pray«that he may be taken without 
the walls to expire ; indeed, so infamous is it consid- 
6 


82 


THE WAR TIGER. 


ered for a corpse to be taken through this dead 
opening, that “ May he be dragged through the pris- 
on hole” is the greatest expression of evil a person 
can wish his enemy. 

The prison in which Nicholas was confined was a 
large building, with its front to the street and its 
back to the canal. There were three courts, each 
having treble gates, well guarded by armed sentries. 
Chow found no difficulty in passing the first two 
gates, but the third was under the charge of the chief 
gaoler, who not only made him show the mandarin’s 
order, but ordered two soldiers to accompany the boy 
to his master’s cell, which was situated at the top of 
one of the four corners or towers, and overlooking 
the canal. 

The armed men he met at every turn, and the dis- 
mal-looking strength of the halls, courts, doors, and 
staircases through w'hich he passed, ‘made Chorw 
feel very wretched, for not an atom of a chance could 
he see for a prisoner to escape. However no sooner 
did he again get sight of Nicholas than all difficulties 
vanished, his countenance brightened, and the afiec- 
tionate fellow fell at his feet and wept with joy. 

“ How is this ? surely thou art not a Christian, my 
poor friend, that they should bring thee here ?” said 
Nicholas sorrowfully. 

“ Truly both servant and master are fortunate, for 
the mandarin has permitted them to keep each other 
company.” 

For some minutes Chow squatted upon the floor 
with his head bent to the ground, apparently in griel 


ESCAPE OF NICHOLAS. 


88 


at his master’s position. Really, he had not calcula- 
lated upon the presence of the two gaolers ; it ivas 
an awkward dilemma, still he was not one to stick at 
a difficulty, and so he began to think. His were not 
pleasant thoughts, for it was just possible that the 
mandarin on recovering from his fright might trem- 
ble at the probable consequences of permitting the es- 
cape of Nicholas, and to make his own peace confess 
the whole affair to the Christian-hating viceroy. 

Having finished cogitating, Chow commenced a 
lively conversation with Nicholas about any thing 
and every thing but what was most on his mind ; 
then he endeavored to chat with the surly gaolers ; 
the attempt, however, proved a failure, till he brought 
forth a porcelain bottle filled with rice spirit. When 
the men grew better tempered, Chow said, “ Is there 
any law that will prevent the honorable guard from 
bestowing upon his servants some hot tea, for surely 
it will refresh them ?” Without making any reply, 
one of the gaolers opened the door and called aloud 
for the beverage. 

Some minutes after swallowing the tea, Chow rolled 
over upon the floor, and howled like a dog ; which 
extraordinary proceeding so alarmed Nicholas and 
the men, that- one of the latter, throwing down his 
weapon, fell upon his knees and began to rub the 
sufferer’s stomach. “ Will the ungrateful villains let 
me die the dog’s death for the want of a cup of 
water ?” Surprised as they were at such a remedy, 
the frightened men provided the water, but at the 
same time pointed to the porcelain flask. 


84 


THE WAR TIGER. 


For the hint the patient thanked thorn, hut he 
knew it would be of no use without hot water. 
Would the honorable gaolers get some ? 

That was another affair, for to ask for hot water 
would be to proclaim that rice spirit was being drunk 
in the prison, when gaolers as well as prisoners would 
be bambooed. 

Then, having coaxed and importuned for some time 
fruitlessly, Chow held his hand upon his stomach, 
and alarmed Nicholas with performing a long series 
of tragic-comic grimaces and contortions, when seeing 
the men begin to tremble at the heavy punishment 
that awaited them if a prisoner died beneath their 
charge, he said, “ Surely the noble guardians Avould 
not have it proclaimed to the next visiting mandarin 
that they have been drinking the prohibited spirit.” 

Perceiving now that they were upon the horns of 
a dilemma, the gaolers hesitated. Then a bright 
thought came to one, and he said, “ Truly, the tea is 
cold ; a fire-pan will warm it ; and so it will not be 
suspected that rice spirit has been brought into the 
prison.” Thus settling the matter to his satisfaction, 
the man procured a small dish of fire and a cup of 
cold water, when Chow had another attack, and in 
his paroxysms kicked over his tea-cup, and then very 
inconsistently clamored for cold water. This request 
being complied with, the patient sipped and appeared 
a degree better, for he then stood upon his feet and 
thanked his deliverers, and, moreover, offered them 
some more spirit, an offence which was repeated and 
accepted til} both gaolers became very good-humored 


ESCAPE OF NICHOLAS. 


85 


and talkative, first to Chow, then to Nicholas. Find- 
ing that they were busy with the latter, Chow saun- 
tered up to the fire and sat before it, as if to prevent 
another attack by its heat. Then a sweet perfume 
pervaded the atmosphere, and so gradually increased 
in strength, that, imperceptibly to themselves, the 
tongues of the men slackened by degrees, their loud 
tones softened into silence, their heads waved gently 
to and fro, till, overcome by the density of the air, 
they fell sideways upon the ground. It was not far 
to fall, for they had been squatting upon the floor 
during their jovial conversation. Then taking a 
large sponge that he had been holding to his own 
nostrils, Chow held it to the nose of Nicholas, who, 
not being intoxicated with spirit, soon exhibited signs 
of returning animation, when creeping up to the droop- 
ing gaolers, he passed something, not a sponge, near 
to their nostrils, which seemed to have the efifect of 
double locking their senses. Then leading the half- 
insensible Nicholas to the window, he took a knife 
from his girdle and cut away the painted paper panes, 
when the cold air soon made the master as sensible 
as the servant. 

Arresting by a sign, Nicholas’s exclamations of 
surprise at these proceedings, Chow pulled forth the 
silken cord, fastened one end to the table, then tying 
his knife to the other end he let it gently down, and 
hung out of the window with it in his hand, as if he 
had been fishing. In a few minutes he obtained a 
bite, for the rope gave a j erk. This being satisfactory, 
he whispered to his master to descend by the loops. 


86 


THE WAR TIGER. 


Nicholas complied, and in one minute found himself 
in the arms of some person, and in another, carried 
into a small room, about large enough to hold four 
men. A minute more, Chow entered the cabin, the 
boat began to glide along the canal, and Nicholas com- 
prehended the whole of Chow’s scheme. Now you 
have the reason of his delight in seizing upon the box 
of pastiles, two of which he had managed to light while 
his back was turned to the gaolers. The cold water 
Chow knew to be an antidote to the stupifying effects 
of the perfume, if applied immediately, as in the case 
of Nicholas. As for the boy’s illness, that was a 
ruse, and a very good one too, under the circum- 
stances. 


THE BOAT WRECK. 


87 


CHAPTER XI. 

PUESrED BY THE YAH-TU. — THE BOAT WEECK. 

When the boat had run a sufficient distance from 
the prison, Sing, for he it was who had so ably aided 
in the escape, putting a pole in the hands of Nicholas, 
and taking one himself, they forced the little craft 
along the waters with the greatest possible speed. 
As for Chow, not finding another pole, and resolved 
not to be left out of the good work, he took ofi’ his 
boots, threw his legs over the stern, and helped to 
propel the boat by paddling against the water with 
his feet. By these means, in a very short time, they 
arrived at the back of Sing’s house, which fortunately 
faced the canal. It was thus, indeed, that the inn- 
keeper had been enabled to pass to the prison in the 
little san-pan which he had borrowed from a friendly 
boatman. 

Going into the house to caution his wife against 
feeling alarmed at his probably prolonged absence, 
he left them for a few minutes, and when he returned 
they had no small cause to rejoice at his thoughtful- 
ness, for his wife had just heard from one of the pris- 
on attendants, who lived at the inn, that about half 
an hour after their escape the relief guard of gaolers 
had discovered their absence, and sent a body of 
yah-yu, both by land and water, to recapture them. 


88 


THE WAR TIGER. 


By the toe of the Emperor, the villain god has 
deceived me, for he promised a fortunate day,” said 
Chow. 

“ It is thy head and heart, and not the foolish 
images, that have hitherto helped thee, Chow. We 
will now trust to the same aids, and by the assistance 
of the One true God, these rogues shall not overtake 
us,” said Nicholas. 

“ The noble youth is brave, but he may not perform 
impossibilities,” replied Sing. 

“ Truly it is not far to the river,” said Nicholas. 

“ The river !” exclaimed Sing, with affright. 
“ Truly Fo himself could not make a boat live upon 
the river such a night as this, at the full of the 
moon.” 

“It is our only safety, for these rascal yah-yu 
dare not follow,” said Nicholas, who regarded the 
great and dangerous waters of the river as his native 
element, adding, “ If thou, Chow, but show a brave 
heart.” 

“ Truly, my master, Chow fears not men, but surely 
it would be a vile thing to anger the god of the 
waters, who may this night swallow all who dare to 
pass from the estuary.” 

“ Art thou an idiot, that after the exhibition at the 
monastery, the folly of these toy gods of the bonzes 
is not imprinted upon thine eyeballs ?” said Nicholas, 
adding angrily, “ But if thou fearest, hide thee with 
the good Sing, and thy master will brave the torrents 
alone.” 

“ This thing may not be, O noble Nicholas, for 


THE BOAT WRECK. 


89 


rather than leave thee, thy servant would he a hui\- 
dred times swallowed by Yen-Yang himself,” said 
Chow. 

“ Thou art brave, youth, and may it please Fo to 
conduct thee safely to thy journey’s end,” said Sing, 
adding with alarm, “ But see, yonder is the boat of 
the yah-yu, for surely no other would be in motion at 
this hour of the night.” 

“ Then,” said Nicholas, looking at a red light which 
appeared to be fixed at the prow of a moving boat, 
“ we must labor for our lives, Chow. 

Then taking a silent but hearty farewell of the inn- 
keeper, the youths clutched the poles and in another 
minute they were gliding along the water street un- 
heeded, except by the watchmen, whose questions 
they answered with a few copper coins, and they 
pushed on through the dark night, till nearly worn 
out with the exertion. The fact, however, that they 
were toiling for their lives, lent them additional 
strength, so after a short rest, away they went again in 
right good earnest ; then the hum of distant voices 
floated through the night air. Resting for a moment 
Chow placed his ear near to the water, saying, “Truly 
they are following us, but more, my master, we are 
near the great dike, which it would be as easy to 
l^ass as to swallow a mountain.” 

“ Courage, O Chow, let us pass the dike, and the 
rats will never overtake us,” said Nicholas, toiling 
harder than ever at the pole. 

This dike or sluice divided from the canal the waters 
of the river which Nicholas had been so anxious to 


90 


THE WAR TIGER 


reach, but as Chow knew they could not get the boat 
hauled over by Coolies at that hour of the night, he 
could perceive nought but a barrier that by arresting 
their progress, must put them in the hands of their 
enemies ; still not liking to disobey, he toiled at his 
pole, and speedily the boat came alongside some 
twenty others, which had arrived too late to be 
hauled over that night. 

Nicholas, however, knowing the influence of money, 
determined to get over the difficulty. So fetching 
the lantern from the cabin, he so shaded its light 
with his robe, that wffiile it could not be seen by their 
pursuers, he could see moored some distance from 
them a little fleet of san-pans. This he had expected, 
so gently pushing the boat alongside one of them he 
tapped upon the egg-Hke roof, and in another 
minute a man put out his head, when putting a piece 
of silver in his hand, as an earnest of a greater re- 
ward, the boatman acquiesced, and in a few minutes 
more he had aroused some of liis fellows, who very 
nimbly set about mooring their boats till they had 
drawn them across the canal, so as to form a barri- 
cade, in the event of the enemy making its appear- 
ance ; after which the boatman fastened a stout rope 
around the stern of the boys’ boat, got into his own, 
and cautioning them to hold on by the roof of the 
cabin, with the assistance of some dozen of his mates in 
their boats, forced the little craft to the summit of the 
stone slope, when all clinging to the rope, let her slide 
gently down the other side into the river, when silent- 
ly the san-pans moved back to their moorings, so that 


THE BOAT WEECK. 


91 


upon their arrival at the dike the yah-yu must have 
been strangely puzzled at the boy’s escape from their 
clutches. 

The dangers of the river, however, were far greater 
than Nicholas had calculated, for the great stream 
upon whose bosom they had embarked, was at times 
as tempestuous as the ocean, and they possessed nei- 
ther oars nor sails ; as for the poles, the great depth 
of the river rendered them useless. Again, the night 
was so dark, that except by the feeble light of their 
lantern they could not see each other’s faces ; their 
only consolation was, that the waters were then as 
smooth and tranquil as those of the canal, except that 
a rapid current seemed to be sweeping them along 
without an effort of their own. 

“May the great god Fo protect us against Ma- 
tsoo-po, to whom we can offer no incense,” said 
Chow. 

“ How ! Can it be that one so brave on land should 
be so great a coward upon water ?” said Nicholas. 

“ Truly it is a maxim, my master that, ‘ all are cow- 
ards ’who can’t help themselves.’ Chow in the 
^waters would be less than the least of little fishes, 
for he cannot swum,” was the gloomy reply. 

“It is also a maxim, ‘thfit the gods forsake those 
who forsake themselves,’ ” said Nicholas, adding, 
“ But it is fatigue, my poor Chow, that destroys thy 
courage ; get thee, therefore, into the cabin and rest 
for a time, while I keep watch.” 

“ Nay, Fo protect us, or w'e are food for the favor- 
ites of the god of the waters,” replied Chow, as the 


92 


THE WAR TIGER. 


boat at that moment made a tremulous 'movement, 
which so alarmed Nicholas, that clutching hold of 
Chow’s arm, he said, “ Now put forth all thy energies 
or we are lost, for the ‘ bore’ is upon us.” 

This was sufficient, for in the presence of real dan- 
ger Chow soon drove away the troubled fancies of 
his brain. 

“ The poles are our only chance,” said Nicholas, 
and, quickly as thought, they fastened theii’ poles to 
the sides, so that they stretched out like two great 
arms. “ Let us but keep our whole weight steadily 
upon the handles, and we may keep her course 
straight,” said Nicholas ; and no sooner had they 
thrown themselves across the poles than a noise like 
that of distant thunder rumbled through the air ; it 
was the great tide wave rolling like a mountain 
toward them. Now they could not escape; so, com- 
mending their souls to Heaven, they awaited its ap- 
proach with suspended breath. It came, and, with a 
roar, caught up the boat, carrying it to a height of 
fifty feet ; in another second the boys were covered 
with a cold sweat at the narrowness of their escape, 
which had been owing to their precaution. Then 
followed a calm, as if the anger of the watery ele- 
ment had subsided. The boys slackened their hold 
of the poles, and so they continued for two hours, 
going they knew not whither. Suddenly the boat 
began to rock. 

“To your pole, Chow,” cried Nicholas. No soon- 
er had he complied, than they found they had entered 
upon a rapid, for the little craft shot forth almost 






The Stonn on the liiver. 

. . Page 9^. 





0 







I 


•. . • ’ 1 





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THE BOAT WEECF 


93 


with the velocity of an arrow. Then came the first 
faint streaks of daybreak, and they trembled, for they 
saw that they had entered a narrow creek. “ Steady, 
for our lives, there is hope yet, for yonder vessel 
may see us,” said Nicholas. The vessel to which he 
alluded was a large junk, so skilfully handled that 
she seemed to be stemming the torrent. Gaming 
hope, the boys clung to their only chance, namely, 
keeping the poles in their fixed positions. Another 
half hour, however, and their strength became 
exhausted, the poles quivered, the boys felt they could 
not hold out much longer ; still another detei-mined 
effort; their minds lent strength to their limbs. 
Then the first light of the sun, an eastern sun, shone 
upon the junk, and disclosed a huge painted eye (the 
government emblem), at the sight of which, and 
screaming aloud “The yah-yu !” Chow let go his 
hold, fell backward, and one pole being thus released, 
the boat lost its equilibrium, the pole of Nicholas 
snapped, and she swang round like a Catherine wheel. 
They were in a whirlpool — nothing could save them 
— then came a fearful crash, and neither Chow nor 
Nicholas could distinguish more. 


94 


THE WAR TIGER. 


CHAPTER Xn. 

NICHOLAS AGAIN TAKEN PEISONEE. 

With the wild whirling of the waters ringing in 
his ears, and the great painted eye before his vision, 
Nicholas stared around. Where could he be ? He 
was lying upon a mat, in a small low room ; he sat 
up, endeavored to comprehend his position, and the 
san-pan, the bore, the torrent, the whirlpool, all flash- 
ed across him — but where could he be ? There be- 
fore him stood a copper god, hideously grinning at a 
pan of burning incense. Surely it must be the cabin 
of a junk — but what? — whose? Possibly the yah- 
yu’s. It must be so ; and, brave as he was, he shud- 
dered. Then, looking out of the window, he could see 
nothing but a vast extent of paddy (rice in the husks) 
fields. Then he saw the junk was passing along a 
canal, which, from its width, he knew must be the 
great Imperial Canal. Then Chow — poor Chow — 
and as he believed him' to have been swallowed up in 
the waters, the gallant boy burst into tears ; and this 
great grief banished every selfish thought from his 
mind. Then he trembled for the safety of his letters ; 
but, feeling beneath his robe, he found them secure. 
Again he wept for Chow, and, happening to look *at 
the god, the hideous little brute seemed to be rejoic- 


NICHOLAS A PRISONER AGAIN. 


95 


ing at his troubles, and in momentary rage he knocked 
the deity off its perch with his fist, with such violence 
that the pain and blood upon his lacerated knuckles 
immediately reminded him of the stupidity of the 
act, and he laughed at his folly ; but reflecting that 
the captain of the vessel might visit such an insult 
to the image upon himself he replaced it in its origi- 
nal position. 

At that moment the door opened, and Chow enter- 
ed with a tray, upon which were two cups, a jar, and 
other materials for a meal, and in his surprise exclaim- 
ing “ Chow !” the latter was so much startled that 
he nearly dropped the tray. * 

“ May Tien be thanked ; my master is far from 
Yen- Vang.” 

“ Where are we, O Chow ?” said Mcholas, recov- 
ering from his surprise ; but the boy would answer 
no questions until Nicholas had partaken of the 
meal. 

As soon as by eating and drinking, he had satisfied 
Chow that he was really alive, the latter said, “ Truly 
the gods must have been favorably disposed toward 
the noble Nicholas, to have kept him alive for so 
many days and nights, without brains in his head or 
food in his mouth.” 

“ What words are these, O Chow?” said Nicholas, 
placing his hand to his forehead, as if making an 
effort to decipher the boy’s meaning. 

“ Let my master open his ears,” said Chow ; 
adding, “Worn out with my exertions in the boat, I 
no sooner perceived the terrible eye than I loosened 


96 


THE WAR TIGER. 


my hold of the pole, and either from fright or fatigue, 
became insensible ; the water, however, revived me, 
and looking for my master, I saw him lying by my 
side upon a shelving edge of rock, for, thanks be to 
Fo, we had dashed upon the rock, the servant with- 
out harm, but the master receiving such a blow that 
it deprived him of his senses ; when, alarmed for his 
life, I shouted to the crew of the junk for help, and 
begged of them to take us on board, but the rats 
refused, saying, that as the gods had evidently re- 
served us for drowning, to resist would be to provoke 
Ma-tsoo-po. Then, as my only hope, I shouted to 
them that I had secured a traitor for whose head fifty 
taels were offered.” 

“ Surely thou art not a rogue.” But not noticing 
this, Chow continued, “ The hope of so much silver 
made the rogues carry us on board, and then poor 
Chow could have swallowed fire, for when he begged 
of them to use means to recall thee to thy senses, the 
dog of a captain said, ‘ Know thou rat of a boy, that 
if fifty taels are offered for the rascal’s head, it will 
save trouble to lop it off at once.’ Then Fo sent a 
thought into my brainless head, and falling at the 
captain’s feet, I told him that so great were thy 
crimes, that although fifty taels would be given for 
thy head, five hundred and a mandarin’s button would 
be given for thy whole body. 

“Then said the captain, ‘the dog utters words oi 
wisdom,’ and fearing to lose the silver, if you died, 
he commanded a physician who happened to be on 
board to make thee sound and whole, and moreover, 


NICHOLAS A PRISONER AGAIN. 97 

promised to reward me with ten taels if I helped to 
bring thee round.” 

But as they heard approaching footsteps, Chow 
said softly, “ Get thee to thy mat, it is the physician ; 
do not let him bring thee to thy senses, or we are 
lost.” 

By the time Nicholas had lain down, an elderly 
man, with a small funnel and a porcelain cup in his 
Lands, entered the cabin, and with as much meaning- 
less mystery of manner as one of our doctors, knelt 
by his side and commenced the comical operation of 
feeling his pulse, or rather pulses, for the physician’s 
hands and fingers traveled up and down the boy’s 
body like a flea in search of a choice bite. Having 
gone through this performance, he placed the funnel 
in the patient’s mouth, and poured down his throat 
a decoction of the gen-seng root, a plant which the 
Chinese befieve will cure all ills; and, disagreeable 
and diflScult as it was, Nicholas swallowed it, which 
so dehghted the old gentleman that he left the cabin 
chuckling, but telling Chow on no account to attempt^ 
to awake him for the next three hours, as he was as- 
sured that nature was bringing him to by her own 
means. 

“ Verily the old cheat believes I have a fever,” said 
Nicholas, jumping up as soon as the doctor had left 
the cabin. 

Chow, who had been gazing from the window of the 
cabin while the physician was present, no sooner saw 
him leave than he said, “We shall leave the dogs 
now adding, “ Let the noble Nicholas remain sense* 
7 


98 


THE WAR TIGER. 


less till Chow returns,” and without another word he 
left the cabin. 

For some time Nicholas remained quiet upon the 
mat, but getting tired he arose, and looking out of 
the window he saw that the junk was in the middle 
of the canal, and from the great quantity of boats 
knew they were near to some great city. He had 
not, however, been looking long, when to his surprise 
he saw one of these san-pans come alongside the junk, 
and taking ChoAV on board, paddled off to the shore, 
Avhere he remained for some time, and then was 
brought back to the junk. What could that mean? 
Surely Chow was not playing him false. No he was 
ashamed of the thought. The boy must be concoc- 
ting some scheme for his benefit ; but hearing foot- 
steps he resumed his position upon the mat, and in 
another minute the physician and Chow entered. 
This time the doctor only went through the pulse 
performance, saying, “ Now if the rascal would but 
move a limb it would show that Fo and the immor- 
tal drug had sent the blood into his muscles. 

A comical notion came into the patient’s head ; it 
was dangerous, but it might prevent the necessity of 
the funnel being put in his throat, and so with a 
slight yawn he suddenly gave the old gentleman such 
a kick on the shins that he started with surprise, but 
delighted that his treatment had succeeded, he said, 
“ Truly the rogue is getting his strength,” and hopped 
out of the room, uttering maledictions upon the 
sailors for robbing him of his gen-seng. 

“What meant the rat by those words?” said 


NICHOLAS A PRISONER AGAIN. 


99 


Kicholas, and he was more than satisfied when 
Chow told him the following story : The doctor placed 
implicit faith in the wonderful curative powers of 
the famous gen-seng, a quantity of which he carried 
about with him, ready for any accident that might 
happen. Knowing this, Chow had managed to secure 
the whole, and, as he anticipated, when the old gen- 
tleman discovered his loss he grew furious, and told 
the captain that Nicholas would die. The captain 
being in fear of losing his reward, had all the men 
searched, and not a few beaten with the bamboo. It 
was all of no use. What was to be done ? Chow 
offered to go ashore and procure some ; the captain 
agreed, a signal was made for a boatman, who, as we 
have seen, came off to the junk, took Chow ashore, 
from whence he returned with the much-prized plant, 
which, by the way, he had no gj*eater trouble in ob- 
taining than putting his hand in a hole in the lining 
of his outer garment. 

While in the boat Chow had made good use of his 
time, for he had bribed the boatman to bring his little 
craft alongside the junk about the middle of the 
third watch. 

The night is divided into five watches; the first 
begins at seven and is distinguished by a single stroke, 
which is repeated every minute till the second watch, 
when two blows are given, and so with the third, 
fourth, and fifth. 

Anxiously did they await the treble sound; at 
length it came, — one, two, three,— and they stood 
with breathless expectation ; about the tenth minute 


100 


THE WAR TIGER. 


of the third watch there was a tap at the paper win- 
dow, when pulling out his knife, Chow ran the blade 
around the paper, and the next moment the end of 
a rope was thrown through. Making this fast to a 
hook within the cabin, Nicholas crept legs foremost 
through the hole, and catching hold of a rope swang 
himself into the san-pan. Chow followed, and they 
crawled into the little cabin, when the san-pan glided 
away, not, however, without arousing one of the sai- 
lors, who believing that the boat had crept alongside 
with some nefarious design upon the property of the 
vessel, sharply warned the boatman of the danger of 
any such attempt, as he was on the qui vive. The 
boatman, however, having given a satisfactory reply, 
he pushed onward, and after passing through a little 
world of junks, san-pans, and barges, they managed 
to effect a landing without being noticed. After 
which, the man having fastened his boat led them 
through the suburbs till they reached a small mud 
hut, from the top of which issued a wreathing column 
of flame and smoke. * 

“ It is the hut of a sentry,” exclaimed Nicholas, who 
knew that the signal huts were distributed at distances 
of about a mile apart throughout the interior, as a 
warning to all would-be depredators that the police 
were on the alert, and this being precisely the kind of 
place they should have avoided, he said, “For what 
purpose has the worthy boatman brought us to this 
hut.” 

“ Truly, my master, we are in safe hands, for the 
man on duty is the boatman’s brother and will let us 


NICHOLAS A PRISONER AGAIN. 


101 


hide here till morning,” said Chow, and the next 
moment they were within the hut partaking of^a 
portion of the soldier’s fare of hot tea and rice bread. 

After some little time the boatman said, “ Truly it 
is not often that brothers meet, and it is well that we 
should have a fraternal conversation.” 

When the men left the hut Chow took a paper from 
his robe, leant over a fire, and having perused it, said, 
“ The dog is a rogue, he would give us shelter to- 
night but to betray us in the morning.” 

“ What words are these ? Truly the boatman knew 
us as nought but two poor travelers.” 

“My master’s thoughts are generous,” replied 
Chow; adding, as he handed Nicholas the paper, 
“ Let the noble man-boy read for himself.” 

Taking the paper, Nicholas read, “ Let the noble 
commander offer a handsome reward, and the rascals 
who have escaped shall be again placed in his hands.” 

“Truly this is villainy ; but how fell this paper into 
thy hands, O Chow.” 

“ Is it not a maxim that wickedness defeats its own 
ends?” said Chow; adding, “As thy servant was 
getting from the window of the junk into the san-pan, 
that paper fell into his hand. Doubtless the rascal 
boatman threw it upon the deck, from whence by ac- 
cident, it fell into my hands.” 

“ Truly it must have been thrown by the hand of 
Heaven,” said Nicholas. 

“We will defeat the rascals, for fortunately I have 
saved one of the thieves’ pastiles,” said Chow, pul- 
ling one of the pyramids from beneath his robe. 


102 


THE WAR TIGER. 


Then as they heard the footsteps of the soldier, 
they squatted before the fire, pretending to be in ear- 
nest conversation. The man joined them, and having 
poured some hot water into a cup, took a pinch of 
teardust from a little packet and made himself a cup 
of that beverage. But while the soldier was drink- 
ing, and probably chuckling at the good round sum 
he should obtain in the morning for Chow and Nicho- 
las, the latter pulled his arms behind, and held them 
till Chow tore enough of his coarse loose garment to 
form a ligature, with which he secured them ; then 
throwing him upon his back, and leaving Nicho- 
las to prevent his rolling over, he pulled from his 
robe a portable lantern, unfolded it, lit the wick, 
then lighting the pastile, at arm’s length he held it 
beneath the soldiers’s nostrils till he became stupid, 
and indeed, until he became insensible, when, rolling 
him over and leaving the pastile burning, they left 
the hut, taking good care to secure it from the 
outside. 


PAGODAS. 


103 


CHAPTER Xm. 

PAGODAS, THEIR ANTIQUITY AND USES. 

Alone, unarmed, in a strange country, at night, and 
pursued by enemies, the boys stood for a time to con- 
sider their next steps. Fortunately, at that moment 
the moon began to shine more brightly, and they saw 
at the distance of some few hundred yards the giant 
form of a pagoda rising from the summit of a hill, 
with its quaint polygon form, varnished green tiles, 
and gilded bells hanging from every point. 

“ Truly the gods have directed our footsteps to a 
resting-place till the morning,” said Chow. 

This was indeed a fortunate discovery, for, know- 
ing that most of the pagodas were untenanted, they 
might hide there ; and with lightened hearts they 
walked onward, till they came to a valley, or ceme- 
tery, filled with tombs, and through which they 
walked till they came to the base of a hill, at the top 
of which was the entrance to the pagoda. Having 
reached one of the gates, they found it locked, a diffi- 
culty that was soon surmounted by Chow, who cast 
his lantern toward one of the windows of the lower 
story, and, as he expected, found that, like the major- 
ity of these quaint structures, this one was in ruins ; 
so, by means of the shoulder of Nicholas, he climbed 


104 


THE WAR TIGER. 


through a window, and speedily opened the gate, 
when they found themselves in an apartment lined 
with black varnished tiles, nearly all of which were 
carved with gilded idols. 

“Thank Heaven, we are safe from the rats,” said 
Nicholas. 

And may sleep, O my master,” said tne fatigued 
Chow, laying himself at full length upon the floor, an 
example that was speedily followed by Nicholas, who, 
like Chow, notwithstanding the danger that sur- 
rounded them, fell into a sound sleep. 

These singulai*, and frequently beautiful buildings, 
towering upward in various heights upon the rising 
grounds, like an unequally grown forest of quaint 
spires, form the chief characteristic in Chinese sce- 
nery. As if the builders believed luck to be found 
in odd numbers, they are either of seven, nine, or 
thirteen stories, and moreover, all shaped from the 
model of the famous Tower of Nankin, which, after 
an existence of nine hundred years, has so recently 
been wantonly destroyed by the iconoclastic insur- 
gents, who are, at the present time, making every 
efibrt for the extermination of the Mantchou Tartars. 

As for the origin of these structures, it is of so re- 
mote a date, that, even in four thousand years old 
China, there is as much difierence of opinion as about 
the origin of the round towers of Ireland. Some of the 
learned writers assert that they were erected monu- 
mentally to great and good people, others that they 
were intended as watch-towers in time of war. 

A very probable theory is that they are of Indian 


PAGODAS. 


105 


origin, having been introduced by the priests of Bud- 
dha, for the purpose of saving the holy relics, thumbs, 
fingers, toes, or any other portions of the body of the 
god that might from time to time be found, or rather 
palmed upon the superstitious people by the bonzes. 
By way of illustrating this theory, I will relate to yOu 
some of the popular legends. The first is really a 
wild-goose story. 

The primitive Buddhists of India were not under 
such strict rules of diet as the sect afterward became ; 
that is, not vegetarians, but at liberty to eat veal, 
venison, and goose flesh. Well, it happened that on 
a certain day, as a party of priests were seated in the 
open air, a brace of wild geese flew above them, 
which caused them to exclaim, “ Our wish is that 
these fowls would do a benevolent act,” when one 
of the birds immediately dropped down dead. Upon 
which remarkable event, the priests cried, “This 
goose brings down a prohibition to abstain from 
flesh; we must therefore consider its meritorious 
act.” Whereupon they erected a building over the 
poor goose, which they called pagoda, which word, 
translated from the Indian word, tsang-po, into 
Chinese, is equivalent to wild goose. 

Of this same pagoda, which still exists, another* 
legend is given. 

“Nearly six hundred years after the introduction 
of Buddhism into China, a priest of the sect was sent 
to India to collect and translate into the Chinese lan- 
guage the sacred books of Budd. On his return with 
the volumes, he brought also a model of a pagoda ; 


106 


THE WAR TIGER. 


in commemoration of which, and also as a receptacle 
for the sacred books, the Emperor erected a pagoda.” 
If this legend is true, and it certainly is more proba- 
ble than any of the others, it is curious, as during the 
reign of this same Emperor, in the year 636, a Chris- 
tian teacher first came from India to China, and was 
not only encouraged by the Emperor, but was 
authorised by a royal decree to preach Christianity 
among the people. 

Another legend states that in the year 256 a 
foreign priest of the Buddhist religion appeared at 
the capital, and performed many strange and super- 
natural feats, which, reaching the ears of the Emper- 
or, caused him to send for the priest, of whom he 
inquired if Buddha could communicate any divine 
emblems. The priest replied, that Buddha had left 
some traces of himself on earth, particularly bone 
relics, which possessed miraculous powers. The 
Emperor, scarcely believing the story, told the priest 
that if any such bone could be found, he would erect 
a great pagoda. To this the story goes on to say, 
that the priest, twenty-one days after, brought one 
of the god’s bones in a bottle, and presented it to his 
majesty, and that when taken into the palace, it 
lighted up the whole building. Then comes the most 
astonishing portion of the legend. In his haste to 
inspect this wonderful bone, the Emperor turned it 
out of the bottle, into a large copper vessel, when 
the bone, probably a leg bone, of its own accord 
kicked the massive basin with such violence that it 
became shivered into a thousand pieces. This, you 


PAGODAS. 


107 


would imagine, was in all conscience sufficiently pro- 
digious to weaken his majesty’s nerves. The priest, 
however insisted upon exhibiting another wonder, 
telling the emperor that so matchless were the quali- 
ties of this bone, that diamond or steel could not 
scratch it, fire could not scorch it, nor the heaviest 
hammer smash it; indeed, to injure this precious 
bone in any way would be to perform one of the la- 
bors of Hercules. This, however, was too much for 
the belief of the Emperor, and so he ordered his 
stoutest blacksmith to take his heaviest hammer and 
make the attempt ; the priest, however got the best 
of it, for no sooner did the hammer touch the bone 
than it crumbled into atoms, when, probably, in de- 
light at its success, this clever bone shone with such 
efi’ulgence that it weakened the eyes of all beholders. 
After this the monarch wanted no more proof of the 
godship of Buddha, kept his promise, and built the 
first pagoda in China. 

Most of these legends have a close connection with 
Buddhism and its priests ; it is, therefore, most prob- 
able that these pagodas have, from their introduction 
into China in the middle of the first century of the 
Christian era, been used in connection with the 
bonzes. This opinion is entertained by the learned 
Chinese scholar, the Rev. Mr. Milne, who says, 
“ Among the Chinese themselves it is a common say 
ing. In pagodas they save and preserve the family of 
Buddha. Usually priests of this order are in charge 
of the pagoda, and sit at the doors of the most fa- 
mous and frequented, to receive gratuities from visit* 


108 


THE WAR TIGER, 


ors. Pagodas are situated generally on Buddliists’ 
lands, and there are in their vicinity, or around their 
base, temples or monasteries for Buddhist priests. 
Within those pagodas that are at all in a state of 
preservation, Buddhist idols, relics, pictures, and 
books are deposited. The histories of these build- 
ings throughout the empire, at least the earliest of 
them, are crammed with Buddhist tales and fictions.” 
So interesting are these’ extraordinary monuments 
of antiquity, as being the probable and supposed de- 
positories of Buddhist writings and Indian docu- 
ments, which, should they ever be brought to light, 
will not only throw a light upon the early intercourse 
between China and Hindostan, but elucidate the mys- 
tery which now hangs over the history of the reli- 
gion of ancient India, a matter of importance to 
every intelligent being, that at the risk of being 
tedious, I could not forbear having a little gossip 
with my young reader on the subject. But now to 
return to our young heroes. 


A DANGEROUS DESCENT. 


109 


CHAPTER XIY. 

A DANGEROUS DESCENT. 

When Nicholas opened his eyes, he found Chow 
awake and on the look-out at the aperture by which 
he had entered the previous evening. He called to 
him, but the boy’s whole attention was evidently too 
much engaged for him to reply. Surely, thought 
Nicholas, the enemy must be in close pursuit, and in 
an instant, he was upon his legs and by the side of 
Chow, who exclaimed, “ The rascals have discovered 
our retreat, and we are lost after all !” 

“Surely thy fears deceive thy eyeballs,” said 
Nicholas ; but, looking for himself, he saw coming 
through the tombs in the direction of the pagoda, not 
only the soldier and the treacherous boatman, but the 
captain of the junk. 

“ The rogues will arouse the bonzes at the monas- 
tery,” said Chow. 

“ Truly the rats are not so senseless. They know we 
are unarmed, and hope to take us without letting the 
bonzes share the reward ; but let us ascend, it is our 
only chance,” said Nicholas, leading the way up a 
steep staircase to the next story ; but, hearing voices 
beneath, he added, “Let us clamber to the top and 
lie quiet, when they may perhaps give up the search.” 


110 


THE WAR TIGER. 


So they ascended the next staircase, but when they 
came to the third story they were vexed to find the 
stairs fallen so completely to ruin that they could 
proceed no higher. Fortune, however, favored them, 
for looking around they saw a ladder, which had 
probably been left by the bonze, whose business it 
was to exhibit the ancient ruin for the convenience of 
visitors. To ascend was the work of a minute, but 
before they had reached the uppermost round of the 
ladder they heard their pursuers enter the lower 
apartment, when, quickening their movements, they 
soon reached the seventh story. N'ow, as like a pyr- 
amid, the building diminished in bulk as it increased 
in height, the top was so small that theycould but just 
pass through the small aperture into the little room, 
which, fortunately, was in such a dilapidated state, 
that the roof near the central pole or spire, which ran 
up the interior from the base to the apex, and was 
surmounted by a kind of large button, was near- 
ly^fi*. 

Once in this room, they set about fortifying their 
position, by pulling up a few of the loose flooring- 
boards and throwing them over the well hole by 
which they had entered. It was a happy thought, 
for as they were laying the last board over the hole, 
they saw the soldier upon the first round of the top 
ladder. In a moment they squatted down with their 
whole weight upon the boards, and as the aperture 
was so small that but one man could ever attempt to 
pass through at a time, they were secure. 

For at least two hours they remained in that posi- 





The Escape from the Pagoda. 

Page 111. 




A DANGEROUS DESCENT. 


Ill 


tion, which proved such a formidable obstacle to the 
entrance of the man, that tired out, he determined to 
consult with his companions as to some other means 
of destroying the hoys. Then, leavmg Chow upon 
the boards watching through a hole for the man’s 
next attempt to force their position, Nicholas ascend- 
ed through a hole in the crumbling roof, looked 
around for some few minutes, then descending, said, 
“We will escape from the roof” 

“ Where are our wings, O, my master ? for without 
them we shall become very small pieces of broken 
china by the time we reach the bottom,” said the as- 
tonished Chow. 

“ In our garments,” said Nicholas, taking off his 
robes and tearing the inner one into narrow slips, 
which being sufficient explanation for Chow, he fol- ^ 
lowed his master’s example, and by plaiting them 
together they managed to form a long rope with 
loops for hand holes at intervals. 

The manufacture of this rope took them some 
hours, during which time they expected every minute 
that the enemy would attempt to force the entrance 
with a great log of wood or bar iron ; fortunately, 
however, little dreaming that there was the most re- 
mote possibility of escape for the boys, the enemy 
had resolved to starve them into a surrender. 

It was near dusk when they had completed their 
labor. Nothing could be better, for if they could es- 
cape now they would reach the town before the 
closing of the gates; therefore,, resolving upon the 
attempt, they pulled aside one of the boards and hs- 


112 


THE WAR TIGER. 


tened again. Fortune was in their favor, for, by the 
conversation that was going on among the men, they 
heard, that, tired of waiting, the soldier was gone in 
search of some heavy instrument that would force an 
entrance. Then Nicholas longed for a couple of big 
bamboos, that they might fight their way through 
them ; n6t, however, being able to command the use 
of such weapons, they determined to make use of 
the rope the minute the men returned. 

Having arrived at this determination, Nicholas re- 
ascended the roof and watched until he saw the sol- 
dier coming toward the pagoda, carrying a huge 
block of wood, when throwing the rope around the 
centre column or sj)ire, so that they could pull it after 
them, leaving no trace of their means of escape, he 
signaled to Chow to follow. He swung on to the 
rope, keeping both ends in his hands, and lowered 
himself on to the projecting canopy or fringe of the 
second story, and by a swing of the body reached the 
terrace, where he waited for Chow, whose legs he 
guided in his descent, after which they pulled down 
the rope, and by performing the same feat at each 
story, reached the ground at the portion of the 
building opposite to the door, and as he had calcu- 
lated, where there were no openings" by which they 
could be seen from within. 

Once upon the ground, Chow gave a caper of joy, 
and proposed to scamper off immediately. Nicholas, 
however, having effected the escape, like a wise gen- 
eral, wished to protect his retreat from pursuit. To 
do this, they entered the lower apartment of the pa- 


A DANGEROUS DESCENT. 


113 


goda, which, as they had expected, they found empty ; 
then ascending the next story, they could see the 
enemy above them in consultation. It was the story 
with the loose ladder. So removing their only means 
of descent, they carried it with them some distance 
from the pagoda, and hastened toward the town, 
heartily rejoicing at the success of their scheme, and 
laughing merrily at the plight of their pursuers, who, 
when found in the pagoda, would be punished as 
thieves, or if they dared to explain the cause of their 
presence in the pagoda, would be severely bambooed 
for not informing the nearest mandarin of the escape 
of such an important prisoner as the runaway 
Christian. 

As they reached the city just before the closing of 
the gates, they found so many persons hastening to 
their homes, that they passed through without being 
noticed, and speedily procured a lodging at the near- 
est inn. 


8 


114 


THE WAR TIGER. 


CHAPTER XV. 

NICHOLAS DISCOVERS A CONSPIRACY, AND MAKES AN 
UNPLEASANT ENTRY INTO PEKIN. 

The next morning they laughed heartily when the 
innkeeper told them that the bonzes of the monastery 
in the suburbs had taken some rogues who had been 
found concealed in the pagoda before the police tri- 
bunal, and that the mandarin had ordered all of them 
a severe bambooing. 

Greatly as he enjoyed this news, Nicholas was too 
wise to wish to remain in the city any longer than 
possible, for he knew that the enraged junk captain 
w'ould leave no effort untried to retake them; he, 
therefore, engaged a passage for himself and Chow 
in a barge that was proceeding to Tching-Eaang. 

Once on board the passage boat and floating down 
along the royal canal, they felt secure, for surely no 
mishap could now happen to interrupt their journey ; 
and so, indeed, they arrived at Tching-Kiang, where, 
as this city was on the banks of the Tang-tse, which 
here interrupts the course of the canal, they were 
compelled to disembark and remain one night. 

The next morning Nicholas sent Chow to purchase 
a sword, a bow, and some arrows, in place of those 
taken from him in the prison. During his absence, 


CONSPIKACy — PEKIN. 


115 


he sat talking to the wife of the innkeeper, for 
amongst the lower classes, the women are permitted 
to have greater intercourse, as indeed is necessary, 
to enable them to assist in earning the family living. 
He had not been chatting for any length of time 
when there arose a great hubbub in the street, and, 
looking out of the window, what was his surprise to 
see Chow running, as if for his life, followed by an 
old gentleman, who stopped every now and then to 
take breath and shake his fists angrily at the mob, 
who, believing it to be a race, shouted for mere fun. 
A glance, however, made Nicholas aware of the true 
character ofdhe pursuer, and he begged of the woman 
to aid him in saving the life of his friend, who was 
being hunted by a madman, who if he caught him, he 
would kill him. 

Before she could reply, Chow ran up to the door ; 
the woman opened it, let him in, and shut it again in 
the face of the old gentleman, whose stomach, being 
of extreme protuberance and what his countrymen 
call full measure, received such a blow that, what 
with loss of breath and fullness of indignation, his 
big body toppled over his short legs, and he lay upon 
the ground with his little head turned upward, like 
a turtle gasping at falling heat drops. 

“Truly we are lost, for the old rat is the physi- 
cian,” said Chow. 

“ Can the worthy woman aid us ?” said Nicholas, 
fairly baffled. 

“Let the youths follow,” said the good-natured 
woman ; adding, “ Whither would they be taken V* 


116 


THE WAR TIGER, 


“To the river,” replied IN'icholas, not knowing 
where else to say. 

Then conducting them to the back of the house, 
where stood several sedan chairs that her husband 
let out for hire, the woman told them to jump into one 
of them, gave instructions to two Coolies who were 
waiting for a job, wished them a prosperous journey, 
drew the curtains, and thus, in about an hour’s time, 
the boys were set down upon the banks of the great 
Yang-tse, when, having rewarded the Coolies for 
their trouble, they walked leisurely along in search 
of a boatmen to carry them to the opposite side. 

“ Truly, O Chow, thou wert born in an unfortunate 
hour,” said Nicholas. 

“ My master’s words are true ; still, the hundred 
families’ lock must have been hung around thy ser- 
vant’s neck, or he could not have escaped so great a 
danger as this.” 

“ Open thy lips to a good purpose, and say how 
this matter happened,” said Nicholas, laughing. 

“ W ell, having made the purchases, I came to the 
quay where the passage-boats discharge their pas- 
sengers, when, may I he punished for forgetting my 
masters affair^ I could think of nothing but the vil- 
lain who slew my noble parent, and who, I thought, 
might possibly be among the soldiers who had just 
arrived from Pekin, and were embarking to go to 
Nankin, which, they say, is even now besieged by 
the rebels. The notion, fit only as it was for the head 
of a goose, could not be helped, and I stood gazing at 
the war-tigers. Well, thy servant had not been long 


CONSPIRACY — PEKIN. 


117 


looking, when an old gentleman seized him by the 
arm, saying, ‘ Thou dog, thou stolest both my pa- 
tient and my gen-seng ; and, seeing that it Was the 
physician, I jerked off his hand, took to my heels, 
and, fearing for the safety of my master should the 
crowd stop me, I frightened, them by calling out, 
‘ Beware, my brethren, of the madman,’ and as that 
made the frightened people stand aside, I was enabled 
to reach the inn in safety.” 

“Truly this was well done,” said Nicholas; but 
as, at that moment, they had arrived at a great 
swamp of paddy, or rice-fields, which stretched for 
miles inland down to the very edge of the river, and 
was covered with water of sufficient depth to enable 
the shallow boats to sail for miles into the interior, 
their progress was stopped, when Nicholas said, as he 
pointed to a multitude of men, women, and children, 
who, at some little distance, with their trousers 
tucked up to the knees, appeared to be amusing them- 
selves with paddling about in the water, “ Let us 
catch the eyeballs of one of yonder shrimp hun- 
ters.” 

These people were a species of jacks-in-the-water, 
who, as they stalked about every now and then pulled 
their legs out of the mud, and taking something from 
it, deposited it in a small bag which they had by 
their sides. They were mud fishers in search for 
prawn, shrimps, and other small fish, which, when felt 
by the foot, they dexterously seized between the toes. 
This is only one instance in which these poor people 
show themselves as clever with the foot as the hand 


118 


THE WAR TIGER. 


and another proof of the old axiom, that necessity is 
the mother of invention. 

For some time they endeavored to call the atten- 
tion of one of these people without avail ; then, hold- 
ing up a copper coin and shouting, a man came to 
them, and soon after fetched a boatman, who, for a 
small sum, engaged to row them in search of a ferry- 
boat. 

The little boat paddled through the fields, past men 
engaged in wild geese catching, and huge duck boats, 
from the sides of which, down inclined boards, hun- 
dreds of those birds were waddling into the fields, 
as industriously earning their living among the rice 
stubble as the mud fishers. 

These duck keepers are a class peculiar to the 
Chinese. Their boats are large and roomy, with a 
broad boai-d extending around the sides for a promen- 
ade for the birds, which are as dear to their masters 
as the pig is to the Irishman. The birds have the 
largest apartment of the floating house. In the morn- 
ing the ducks waddle round the promenade at their 
pleasure, except after the rice harvest has been gath- 
ered, when the boards are inclined, and they walk up 
and down the slope at their will ; and so well are 
they brought up, that, if hundreds of them are out 
upon a cruise, they will instantly return to the boat 
at their master’s whistle. 

Once in the boat, Nicholas had no wish to leave it, 
till he had crossed the river. This he had some diffi- 
culty in persuading the man to do, for it was three 
leagues broad at that part. The sight, however of a 


CONSPIRACY — PEKIN. 


119 


piece of silver strengthened his courage, and, fixing up 
liis little sail of bamboo matting, he made the attempt, 
'when, after some hours, they reached the opposite 
banks, dismissed the boatman, and felt as pleased as 
a fugitive between whom and the bloodhounds a vast 
water track has passed. 

Having crossed the great river, they had no fear 
of further pursuit, so, hiring two sedan chairs, they 
reached Kui-Chow the same evening. The next 
morning they again took passage upon the Royal 
Canal, down which they traveled for some days, till 
they arrived at Yang-Chow, a city celebrated for its 
manufacture of salt and singing girls. These poor 
creatures are matter of commerce with the mer- 
chants, who have taught them to sing, paint, and 
play on musical instruments, when they can sell 
them for very large sums of money to the great 
lords, who purchase them for the recreation of their 
households. 

Resting at this city for one day, they again started 
upon their journey, and in a few weeks arrived at 
Tien-Sing, from which place they proceeded by a 
small canal to Tsing-Chow, the nearest place to Pekin, 
where they landed. 

“ Thanks be to Tien, my master, we shall soon be 
in the venerable city itself.” 

“ Thou art fond of Pekin, Chow ?” 

“ The tombs of thy servant’s ancestors are near its 
walls,” said Chow, gloomily. 

“ Why, in the name of the social relations, art thou 
as dull as a tailless peacock ?” said Nicholas. 


120 


THE WAE TIGER. 


“ It is filial pity, for last night I dreamt that I 
should discover in Pekin the dog who slew my ven- 
erable parent, and should I die without searching 
him out, the tombs of my ancestors would refuse to 
hold me.” 

“ These are wild words and foolish fancies, Chow,” 
said Nicholas ; adding, as he beheld the boy stare in 
the faces of the passers-by, “ Moreover, if thy man- 
ners are so barbarous, thou wilt surely get into 
trouble ; and, believing that occupation or a mission 
would drive these thoughts from Chow’s mind, he 
stopped at the house of a dealer in horses, and, hav- 
ing bargained for two, said, “ Thou art well informed 
of the ins and outs of Pekin, Chow ?” 

“ Every rat-hole, my master,” was the reply. 

“ Then for fear that the hour may be too late ere I 
reach the city, take one of these horses and hasten to 
the great square, where thou wilt find one Yang, a 
wealthy merchant ; seek his presence, and inform him 
that the son of his correspondent, the great merchant 
’Of the south, would beg a lodging of him while he 
remains in the capital.” 

“Thy commands shall be obeyed,” said Chow, 
turning a sumersault on to the back of one of the 
horses, and in another instant was at full gallop 
toward Pekin. 

Nicholas then sought a house of refreshment, and, 
having regaled himself with a cup of hot tea and rice 
cakes, mounted the other animal, intending to follow 
Chow. 

The distance, however, was longer than he had cal- 


CONSPIRACY — PEKIN. 


121 


culated; moreover he took the longest road, so that 
by the time he reached within view of the walls, 
towers, and yellow roofs, of the imperial city, the 
gates were closed for the night, and none would be 
permitted to pass without a searching scrutiny ; so, 
although much vexed, he determined to seek a lodg- 
ing at an inn he had passed on the road. How- 
ever, the innkeeper addressing him, rudely said, 
“How is this, that a mere boy should be without 
the walls at this hour ? Has he no respect for his 
parents, who will assuredly be punished for their 
neglect ?” 

“ Is the worthy innkeeper of barbarian parents, 
that he would refuse to lodge a youth, who, tired and 
weary, has but just arrived from a long journey, and 
is willing to pay handsomely ?” said [N'icholas, show- 
ing him about an ounce of silver. 

“Truly the vision of thy servant must have been 
dull, that he could not before perceive that the youth 
before him was nobly allied and of great respecta- 
bility,” said the man, now that he greedily eyed the 
precious metal. “ Yet,” he added, “ it is not possible 
that the noble youth can lodge beneath this roof, for 
the inn is already crowded with merchants, who 
enter Pekin at daylight.” 

“ Then will I trouble the most perfect of inn- 
keepers no longer,” replied Nicholas, believing the 
man to be an extortioner. 

“ The words of thy servant are as true as the sa- 
cred books, but if the noble youth will bestow a fee 
upon the porter he can procure a lodging at yon 


THE WAK TIGER. 


^ m 

mansion,” replied the man, as he pointed to a large 
house near the inn. 

“ What words are these ? Yonder mansion is the 
palace of some noble mandarin, who will deservedly 
chastise thee for thy insolence in making his house a 
common inn.” 

“ JN'ot so, O noble youth, for although the front is 
fair to look at, the house is in ruins and under the 
care of a porter. The mandarin is in a far distant 
province, if, indeed, as is reported, he is not at this 
moment in rebellion against the Emperor.” 

“ Tien forbid that a true-born Chinese should soil 
the soles of his boots with the dust of a traitor’s 
door stone,” said Nicholas. 

“ Thy servant said it was but rumored, O loyal 
youth,” replied the innkeeper ; adding angrily, “ Tru- 
ly if thou refusest this thou wilt get none other 
lodging.” 

“ Truly it may be but scandal, therefore show me 
to this porter, and thou shalt be rewarded for thy 
trouble,” replied Nicholas. 

The innkeeper then conducting him to one of the 
smaller of the three doors in the wall of respect, 
which, as with all the houses of the great, are built 
before the house, summoned the porter, who for a 
piece of silver took charge of his horse, introduced 
him into a small room, which led from one side of the 
great central hall, and leaving him a sleeping mat 
withdrew, when Nicholas laid himself at full length, 
glad enough to get the opportunity of getting a good 
night’s rest. 


CONSPIRACY — PEKIN 


123 


Nicholas had not slept long before he was awakened 
by the sound of voices, which he could hear so clear- 
ly and distinctly that he knew it proceeded from some 
adjoining room. More vexed, however, at the dis- 
turbance than curious to listen to the conversation, 
he turned over and tried to sleep, but then the tones 
became louder, and he fancied he heard his fatlier’s 
name. If so, it evidently concerned him; therefore 
in self-defence, he must listen ; and, setting up on his 
mat, he saw that he was in a double room divided 
by folding doors, between the crevices of which came 
a ghmmering light, so creeping softly forward, he 
peeped through. There at a table, beneath a painted 
lantern, the light from which played upon their faces, 
sat two men of tall stature and soldier-like appear- 
ance, but neither of whom could he at first recog- 
nise. A minute more, however, and he fancied that 
in one he could trace familiar features ; still he could 
not recall them to his memory. Ho listened atten- 
tively, for the taller man spoke earnestly for some 
time of such matters that made the boy burn with 
rage and horror. When he had concluded, the other 
smiled and said, “Truly, O illustrious prince, we have 
secured the ambitious pirate of the south. May the 
time for action speedily arrive.” No sooner had he 
spoken, than, like a glimpse of light in a cavern, the 
recognition flashed across the boy’s mind. The last 
speaker was the mandarin envoy who had visited his 
father’s vessel, and he trembled for the safety of the 
Emperor’s letter. It was consolatory, however, that 
should they meet, the mandarin would not know 


124 


THE WAR TIGER. 


liim, for they had not met on board the vessel. When 
the mandarin had spoken, his companion said, “ Hush, 
general! no tiles, for walls may have ears; but 
enough, I am satisfied.” Then after whispering to- 
gether for some little time, they arose, and Nicholas 
crept back to his mat. The moment after to his 
horror, the doors were thrown open, and the prince 
exclaimed, “ How ! we are betrayed ; what rogue 
is this?” 

“ Silence, my prince, he sleeps, and can have heard 
nothing,” said the other, cutting down the lantern 
from the other room and holding it before the pre- 
tending sleeper, who, notwithstanding his perilous 
position, did not move a muscle. The boy, however, 
had a harder trial yet, for drawing his dagger, the 
prince exclaimed, “ True, general, he may not have 
heard — ^but, he may — and as dead dogs can’t bark — ” 
but, as the prince was about to strike, and the brave 
boy was mentally preparing to clutch at the weapon, 
with both hands, the mandarin caught the arm of the 
would-be assassin, led him into the other room, whis- 
pered with him, and then they both left the house, after 
securing all the doors from the outer side. 

Bathed in a cold sweat, Nicholas arose and exam- 
ined the room, to find some means of escape, for he 
little doubted that they would speedily return. It 
was useless, and he made up his mind to await the 
chapter of accidents. For some time fear kept him 
awake, but at length nature would have her way and 
he fell off to sleep. 

When he awoke he found a party of yah-yu and 


CONSPIR A.C Y — PEKIN. 


1^5 


the porter of the house at his side ; the latter lookiog 
at him maliciously, said, “Take the vile dog before 
the police tribunal, he is a thief and a rogue.” 

“ Silence, rascal ! for thou knowest that I am no 
thief, but a traveler who paid thee for a night’s 
lodging.” 

“ Away with the young rogue,” said the porter ; 
and, binding him hand and foot, Nicholas was made 
to make his first entry into Pekin amid the shouts of 
the rabble, who were delighted that so vile a house- 
breaker and thief should be caught. 


126 


THE WAR TIGER. 


CHAPTER XVI. 

THE BOYS AGAIN IN TKOUBLE. 

Smarting with indignation at the accusation, which, 
had evidently been made for the purpose of getting 
him transported to the penal province, Nicholas was 
taken before the police mandarin like a common thief. 
When, however, they reached the tribunal, they found 
the magistrate engaged examining witnesses on the 
part of a military mandarin who had been insulted 
in the public streets. “ Let the worthy officer state 
his complaint,” said the mandarin. 

“ Know, O fountain of justice,” said the officer, join- 
ing his hands above his head, and bowing nearly to 
the ground three successive times, “that as thy ser- 
vant was riding through the great square, a young 
man, possessed either with demons or samshu, jump- 
ed so rudely before me that I stumbled and fell to 
the earth, and when he stared me full in the face like 
a hungry wolf, I remonstrated, but the rascal held 
me down, continuing to stare with glaring eyeballs ; 
he then tore the plaster from this wound which I 
received on my cheek in lighting the rebels of Chen- 
si, and began to dance round me most frantically with 
a drawn sword, crying, ‘Thou villain, slayer of hon- 
est folks’ parents, I have found thee at last, and will 


THE BOYS IN TROUBLE. 


127 


cut thee into pieces small enough for mince pies.’ 
Alarmed at this violent rudeness, I could but say, 
“ Hold, dog, I am a soldier of the Emperor.” ‘ Ah, 
ah ! I know thou art, thou villain,’ said he. ‘I have 
received a wound,’ said thy servant. ‘Ah, ah! I 
know thou hast, thou villain,’ again said the madman, 

‘ Begone, dog, what wouldst thou do ?’ said I. ‘ Slay 
thee, and burn thy house, even as thou didst my 
parents, villain;’ whereupon the rascal would have 
slain thy servant upon the instant but for the timely 
aid of this good merchant Yang,” said the soldier, 
pointing to a stout elderly man who stood by his 
side. 

Now, guessing at once that this terrible prisoner 
must be Chow, Nicholas felt no surprise when he saw 
the poor fellow, with his arms tied behind him, 
dragged before the mandarin, who said, “What says 
the murdering thief to this charge ?” 

“ What can the unfortunate Chow say, most bene- 
ficent father and mother of justice, but that it was 
all a mistake, and that thy unworthy slave has ever 
been taught that no man should exist beneath the 
same heaven with the murderer of his parents ?” said 
Chow, as he cast some comical glances at the bamboo 
canes. 

“ What words are these ? What has this most 
wise maxim to do with thy case, fellow ?” said the 
mandarin. 

“ Much, O magnificent judge, for thy slave’s father 
was destroyed by the chief ofiicer of the rebel Li- 
Kong, whom this worthy war-tiger unfortunately 


128 


THE WAR TIGER. 


resembles, both in the wound on the cheek, and the 
length of his hair.” 

“ If thy words are not false, then thou art a wor- 
thy but unfortunate servant of the holy lord our 
Emperor,” said the mandarin ; “ but who will assure 
us of this ?’ 

“Truly will I, O learned judge,” cried out 
Nicholas. 

“ Who is this dog, that speaks without prostrating 
his mean person at the feet of justice?” said the 
mandarin. 

“ A thief and a rascal, who is awaiting to be tried,” 
cried the porter who had accused Nicholas. 

“ By the beard of Confucius, this is daring ; give 
the dog a dozen strokes,” said the mandarin. 

“Stay thy command, O running fountain of jus- 
tice ; let not thy celestial ears be profanely filled by 
the tongues of dogs,” shrieked Chow with fear, as 
soon as he saw that his master was a .prisoner. 

The mandarin would have visited this daring inter- 
ruption with a heavy punishment, but for some words 
whispered in his ears by the merchant Yang, and 
which caused him to smile and say, “ The honorable 
merchant Yang has answered for thy truth boy ; but 
that for the future you may not be liable to such 
mistakes, we will give thee a fatherly correction.” 
The mandarin then pulled fifty reeds from the case, 
and threw them upon the fioor, whereupon two of 
the footmen caught hold of Chow, took off his robe, 
and held him on the floor, while another administered 
fifty blows, after which Chow got upon his legs, made 


THE BOYS IH TROUBLE.v 


129 


a very wry face, and twisted and writhed about like an 
eel making an effort to walk upon the tip of his tail. 

“Leave off twisting and twirling thyself out of 
nature, thou dog, and return thanks to his high jus- 
ticeship for his kindness in correcting so miserable an 
affair as thy mean self,” said one of the footmen. 

With one eye glaring upon the footman, and the 
other smiling upon the mandarin, Chow held his 
hands behind his back to assuage the pain, and made 
two or three attempts to bend his back, but failing, 
dropped suddenly on his knees, and bowing his head 
to the ground, said, but with a twist of his back or 
grimace between every word, “Thy correction — O 
father — and mother — of justice, is beneficial, but like 
physic would be ” 

“ What, boy ?” said the mandarin, laughing. 

“ More agreeable if it were tasteless, yet thy mean 
servant thanks thee, noble judge, for this care of his 
mind and Chow hopped among the bystanders. 

When Chow had been disposed of, the porter for- 
merly charged Nicholas with entering the mansion at 
night for the purpose of robbery. 

“ Who art thou boy ; thy name, surname, and from 
what province ?” said the mandarin kindly. 

“ The mean name of thy unworthy servant is 
Nicholas, of the province of Fokien, from whence he 
has traveled on special affairs to a worthy merchant 
of Pekin, named Yang.” 

, “ So far thy words are truth,” said the mandarin, 
to the astonishment of Nicholas ; “ but what answer 
can the youth make to the charge of this man?” 

9 


130 


THE WAR TIGER. 


“ That it is vile and false, and that the dog is a trai- 
tor in league with rebels, who happening to meet 
with thy servant last night at the same house, are 
fearful that he may have discovered their j)lots, and 
so hope to destroy him.” 

At that moment there arose a great bustle in the 
court, and a cry of “ Make way for the illustrious 
deputy-general of the nine gates,” and a military 
mandarin, with a tiger painted on his breast, a gold 
button and a peacock’s feather in his cap, both of 
which bespoke his high rank, entered the tribunal, 
and testified to the guilt of Nicholas, who recogniz- 
ing in him the man who had been addressed the pre- 
vious night by the title of general, exclaimed, “Be- 
hold, O Mandarin, one of the traitors.” 

Great was the effect of the new comer upon the 
judge, for, not paying the least attention to the excla- 
mation of Nicholas, he said, “ Truly falsehood will 
not flow from the lips of the Heaven-appointed dep- 
uty-general. As for thee (turning to Nicholas,) vile 
dog, as thy guilt is now clear,. thou shalt receive one 
hundred blows, and be banished for life.” 

Now, while the mandarin was speaking, Chow 
happening to get a full view of the general’s face, 
rushed through the crowd, crying, “ It is the villain, 
it is the destroyer of my parents,’ and in another mo- 
ment he had clutched the/ general by the throat, 
thrown him upon the ground, and would have 
strangled him, but for the help of the footmen, who 
speedily seized him, bound his arms, and carried him 
with Nicholas to the prison. 


THE BOYS IN TROUBLE. 


• 181 


“ This fancy, that every officer you meet is the de- 
stroyer af your parents, will prove thy destruction, 
my poor Chow,” said Nicholas, as soon as they were 
alone in the prison. 

“ There can be no doubt it is the villain, for saw 
you not the wound upon his cheek ? but, alas ! my 
trouble is the greater that I slew him not before we 
were shut up in a cage like two dogs for fattening.” 

“ Thy liberty at least was secure, but for thy foolish 
attack upon the mandarin of war.” 

“ By the Vermillion pencil itself, Chow cares not 
for liberty, if they ruin his noble master.” 

Then Nicholas began to think upon his miserable 
position, — sentenced to be beaten with the bamboo 
to him worse than death, for, being born upon the 
coast, unlike most Chinese, he had never been sub- 
jected to such a degradation ; and then to be banish- 
ed for life, at the very commencement of his career, — 
it was horrible. Greater, however, was his anxiety 
for the safety of his father’s letters. Could he 
but send a message to the merchant Yang, — alas! 
that was impossible. Should he give it to Chow ? 
No ; for he knew not what punishment awaited the 
boy for assaulting so great an officer. He was indeed 
at his wit’s end, and he prayed to the Almighty for 
aid. 

“ Let not the noble Nicholas be so sad, for truly 
the gods can never desert the innocent and unfortu- 
nate,” said Chow, while tears of affection wetted his 
cheeks ; adding, “ I will pray of them to take my 
worthless life in exchange for thy liberty.” 


132 • 


THE WAR TIGER. 


“ I can not, do not doubt thy affection, my good 
Chow, but place not my faith in these foolish deities ; 
there is but One true God, whose Son died on the 
cross to save mankind, and in Him I trust in my 
hour of difficulty.” 

“My master is of the religion of the Fan-Kwi 
(foreign devils.) Will their god aid him in the hour 
of his troubles?” replied Chow, despondingly. 

“ Thou wilt see Chow,” replied Nicholas, angrily. 

“ Truly, but in the mean time the bamboo will cut 
us into strips like an umbrella in a storm,” said 
Chow, making such queer contortions and grimaces, 
that in spite of his troubles Nicholas could not help 
laughing. “ Then, he added, “ thy servant has a 
scheme that will save thee, my generous master.” 

“ Open thy lips, O wise and prudent youth,” said 
Nicholas. 

“ The noble Nicholas has a father ?” 

“ Truly, a noble one.” 

“ Then, as Chow has neither father, mother, nor 
aught else, but hatred for his father’s slayer and grat- 
itude to the preserver of his life ” 

“ What words are these ?” said Nicholas, impa- 
tiently. 

“The good Nicholas has money; let him give it 
to Chow, and he will bribe the mandarin to slit him 
into ribbons in thy stead,” said Chow, seriously. 

“ Silence, Chow ! this scheme of thine is offensive,” 
said Nicholas, not without a tear at the boys devotion. 

“ Alas ! of what use is a friend if he will not be 
serviceable in the hour of need ?” said Chow. 


THE BOYS IN TEOUBLE. 


133 


Their conversation was interrupted by the opening 
of the door. 

“ It is the illustrious Yang himself, who spoke good 
words to the boy-correcting mandarin ; may he be 
turned into a bamboo himself in the next world,” ex- 
claimed Chow with a writhe of remembrance. 

“ Thou art the son of the good merchant, my cor- 
respondent ?” said Yang. 

“The face of the worthy merchant, is welcome in 
the hour of difficulty,” said Nicholas. 

“ That difficulty is past, for thou art released,” re- 
plied Yang, leading him to a covered vehicle, into 
which Chow followed, and all three proceeded to the . 
merchant’s house, where they found a substantial 
meal awaiting them, a portion of which Chow carried 
with him to another apartment. 

“ Will the venerable Yang say by what fortunate 
chance he was enabled to confer upon the son of his 
correspondent such an everlasting debt of grati- 
tude !” said Nicholas. 

“ Know then, my nephew, for my nephew thou art, 
being the son of my adopted brother, that when the 
comical ape Chow brought thy message, I watched 
for thy coming till evening, when knowing that you 
could not pass through the gates that night, I lodged 
Chow in my house. This morning I went to meet you, 
telling Chow to follow close behind my chair. Pass- 
ing through the great square we met with the mili- 
tary officer whose affiiir took us to the tribunal, where 
by means of a small present secretly conveyed to the 
mandarin, I succeeded in getting the foolish fellow 


134 


THE WAR TIGER. 


off with a mere fatherly correction, which the dispen- 
ser of justice was compelled to give him for form’s 
sake. This affair being settled, judge my horror at 
finding you charged with so fearful a crime. How- 
ever, I was prepared ; for Chow, while listening to 
his own accuser, had seen you in the custody of the 
yah-yu, to whom I went, and by means of a bribe 
made them tell me the reason of your being in that 
plight. When I had learned the particulars, I whis- 
pered to the mandarin that I would present him with 
a handsome sum in silver if he would treat you 
leniently. But when the favorite general of the 
Prince Li-Kong appeared, the affair took another turn, 
and for fear of losing his own head, the mandarin was 
compelled to condemn you. Yet, sad as this was, it 
was to he managed with money. So by gmng a 
handsome sum to an already condemned criminal, the 
poor wretch agreed to suffer in your place.” 

“ How ! what rascality is this ? Surely the inno- 
cent shall not suffer. The mandarin must be sought,” 
said Nicholas. 

“ Hist, hist, my good nephew ! it is all over ; for, 
foreseeing your objection, the money was handed over 
to the man’s family and he himself dispatched at once 
to the penal settlement for condemned criminals.” 

“ It is a vile practice, O Yang,” said Nicholas with 
disgust. 

“ It is a common one,” replied the merchant ; add- 
ing, “.but what brings the son of the great merchant 
to Pekin? he is young to be entrusted so great a 
journey.” 


THE BOYS IN TROUBLE. 


135 


“ Are then the special secrets of my noble parent 
of so little value that they may be wafted about the 
very air of this vile city of Pekin ?” said Nicholas. 

“ Pardon thy servant, O noble youth, who seeks to 
know thy affairs that he may help to render them 
prosperous.” 

“ The worthy Yang must forgive the haste of a 
boy who so far forgets his duty to his elder,” said 
Nicholas. 

That night the boys slept at Yang’s house. 


136 


THE WAR TIGER. 


CHAPTER XYII. 

NICHOLAS RESOLVES UPON A DANGEROUS ADVENTURE. 

The following morning when Nicholas saw the 
merchant, he said, “Yesterday the worthy Yang 
would have learned the object of my visit to Pekin. 
I would gain admittance to the imperial palace. Will 
he aid me ?” 

“Alas! my nephew, nothing can be more difficult, 
for it is crowded with bonzes, and I fear vrorse — re- 
bels, who swarm around the royal person like hor- 
nets; but whom seekest thou within the outer 
palaces ?” 

“Even the Son of Heaven himself, at the feet of 
whose throne I would kneel.” 

“ Is the youth bereft of his senses ? does he not 
know that it is certain death to pass the prohibited 
wall of the inner palace ?” 

“ May then the illustrious Prince Woo-san-Kwei be 
found within the palace ?” asked Nicholas. 

“ Nay, even if thou couldst boast the friendship of 
the great Woo-san-Kwei thou wouldst not be safe. 
The prince is too honest and brave to be much in 
favor just now. Wouldst thou be safe, youth, thou 
must seek the Prince Li-Kong.” 

“ The vile traitor,” muttered Nicholas at the name. 


A DANGEROUS ADVENTURE. 137 

“Hist, hist! thou wilt assuredly lose thy head, 
boy,”, said Yang, placing his finger upon his lips. 

“ Let the friend of the merchant of the south open 
his lips to a purpose. Can, or can he not, aid me to 
gain admittance within the palace ? for it is my 
father’s command that I should seek the Emperor or 
the Prince Woo-san-Kwei, and at the peril of my life 
he must be obeyed,” said Nicholas firmly. 

“ Since thou art determined, take this,” said Yang 
placing a ring on the boy’s finger ; adding, “ It will 
pass thee through the guards of the outer palaces and 
courts as far as the prohibited wall, and then pro- 
ceed no farther, as you value your life, but await the 
approach of one of the officers of the guard, to whom 
you must show that ring, and tell him that you have 
business with the red-girdled Prince Woo-san-Kwei; 
further, be prudent, or thou wilt seek thy death.” 

“The worthy Yang has indeed filled me with gra- 
titude,” said Nicholas, who then sent Chow for a 
chair. When the boy returned he asked his master 
to what part of the city he would be carried. 

“ To the palace.” 

“ By the five social relations the noble Nicholas is 
tired of tliis world, for he has no sooner escaped one 
death than he seeks another,” said Chow. 

“Wag not thy foolish tongue, O Chow, but if thy 
heart fails thee stay behind.” 

“ And leave the noble Nicholas to go to the world 
of spirits alone ? that would indeed be base. No, 
no ; Chow will follow ; but my noble master has for- 
gotten his sword, he may require it,” said the bdy. 


138 


THE WAR TIGER. 


“I am sufficiently armed,” replied Nicholas show- 
ing the hilt of a small dagger beneath his robe, add- 
ing, “Now let us proceed.” 

They then passed through the streets, which 
swarmed with people who were as busy as bees in a 
hive, some making purchases of itinerant tradespeople, 
viewing the wonderful feats of jugglers, mountebanks, 
or players, listening to the marvelous narratives of 
voce novelists, or testing their fates with cheating for- 
tune-tellers. As they approached the palace, they found 
crowds of people gazing at the great observatory, up- 
on the top of which the astronomers of the court, in 
full dress, were engaged in watching the heavens. 
When they arrived at the wall which confined the 
city of buildings that made up the imperial residence, 
Nicholas dismissed the chairman, and they passed 
into the first court, which was as large and full of 
houses as a small countVy town. It took half an hour 
to walk through ; and as they had to traverse seven 
more of these courts, which took them three hours, 
you may imagine the great extent of the whole 
palace. The last but one was surroimded with the 
palaces of the princes of the red girdle, or those more 
distant in blood from the throne. This court was 
crowded with mandarins, officers, eunuchs, and sol- 
diers of the Emperor, who were earnestly peering 
through telescopes at the sun, which from a deep 
blood red became yellow and dim, and gradually 
more and more opaque, till the whole world seemed 
to be enveloped in darkness, and darkness blacker 
than midnight, for there was no moon. 


A DAKGEKOCS ADVENTURE. 


139 


When the earth’s light became extinguished, the 
mandarins fell flat upon their faces, moaning aloud, 
while the noise from thousands of drums shook the 
very walls. 

“ Let us fall upon our faces, O my master, and pray 
to the terrible dragon,” exclaimed Chow, suiting the 
action to the word, and endeavoring to drag Nicho- 
las with him. As, however, Nicholas was averse to 
this superstition, he refused to comply, and stood 
looking upon the people as if they had been perform- 
ing for his especial and solitary beneflt. 

Whatever was the superstition, it laid firm hold of 
Chow, who, long after the light had returned to the 
heavens and the other people to their feet, continued 
to moan, kick his legs, and knock the earth with his 
forehead. At length, after repeatedly calling to him 
in vain, Nicholas turned him upon his back, when, 
opening his eyes and finding ♦he light had returned, 
he jumped upon his feet, and, as the sweat of fear 
rolled from his brow, said, “Thank the gods, the 
greedy monster of a dragon has not swallowed the 
sun and moon. O master, what would become of us 
all ; what would become of day and night without the 
sun and moon ?” 

“Art thou foolish, O Chow, to believe that this 
eclipse was caused by the eflbrt of a monster dragon 
to swallow the heavenly luminaries ?” 

“ Who is thy servant, O noble Nicholas, that he 
should doubt, when learned mandarins believe ?” said 
Chow. 

“ Know, O Chow, that the mandarins believe in 


140 


THE WAR TIGER. 


it no more than thy master, but perform a ceremony 
handed down to them by their ancestors.” 

When the people who had been praying of the 
dragon not to swallow the poor sun and moon began 
to disperse, the boys continued their journey till they 
came to the outer or prohibited wall of the inner 
palace, when, pointing to a soldier who stood at the 
gate with a naked sabre in his hand, Chow said. 
“ Look, my master, to pass yon tiger of war will be 
to seek Yen-Vang in the other world,” and at the 
same moment the soldier said, “ Are the slaves tired 
of their lives that they approach the prohibited wall 
without bowing to the earth ?” 

Having performed the required ceremony, Nicho- 
las jDresented the merchant’s ring to the soldier, say- 
ing, “ Let the eyes of the war tiger rest upon this 
token, for by its means his servant would seek \he 
illustrious yellow girdle, Woo-san-Kwei.” 

“ The power of the token may not be doubted, for 
it bears the character of the prince ; yet may the noble 
youth not see the barbarian-subduing prince, for he 
is in council with the colaos,” said the soldier. 

“Then, by the toe ‘of the Emperor, (may he live 
ten thousand years,) we are as good as in our coffins ; 
for know, O my master, it is death to sleep within 
the walls of the palace,” said the trembling Chow. 

“ Surely,” said Nicholas, placing a piece of silver 
in the soldier’s hand, “ the brave warrior can secure 
lodging within the walls for a youth whose duty 
compels him to risk his life rather than leave the palace 
without speaking with the great Woo-san-Kwei” 


A DANGEROUS ADVENTURE. 


141 


“ Truly it will be hazardous,” but before the sol- 
dier could finish his reply, the officer of the night 
came up with the relief guard. 

“Who are these vile dogs that are so openly seeh 
ing their death ?” said he. 

“ This youth, O noble commander, bears the ring 
of the great Woo-san-Kwei, whose presence he seeks; 
but as the patriot prince cannot be seen, with the 
noble commander’s permission the youth shall lodge 
with me this night.” 

“The noble and unfortunate Ki utters judicious 
words, and shall command in this thing,” replied the 
officer, to the surprise of Nicholas, who could not 
comprehend an officer of the guard being so politely 
submissive to a man so much his inferior. 

The permission, however, did not extend to Chow, 
whom the officer undertook to convey back again out 
of the palace. 

“ Then slit me into bamboo slips, thou Captain of 
war tigers, for the servant dare not leave his master,” 
said Chow, who refused so obstinately that the sol 
diers had to carry him away. 

As Ki led the way through the streets and passages 
on the way to his quarters, Nicholas was not a little 
surprised to find that he was respectfully saluted by 
all whom they passed. Again, instead of the common 
room appropriated to soldiers of his humble station, 
his quarters consisted of a house by itself. Neither 
could Nicholas get rid of his puzzle, till Ki said, 
“ Has the name of the colao Ki ever fallen into the 
ears of the honorable youth ?” 


U2 


THE WAR TIGER. 


“ Truly so ; for whose ears could be so dull as not 
to have drunk in his fame as a wise minister of state?” 

“ Yet such is the viscissitude of fortune, that the 
colao is now before thee, O youth, plucked of the 
peacock feather, and the golden ball torn from his 
cap.” 

“ The great and good colao degraded to a mean sol- 
dier ! Are such things possible ? O unfortunate man !” 
said Nicholas, bowing respectfully to the fallen noble. 

“ The purest sky is sometimes shaded by the black- 
est cloud. The cloud over the head of Ki is the 
Prince Li-Kong, to whom every thing is now possi- 
ble; but open thy lips, youth, and send forth thy 
wishes with the Prince Woo-san-Kwei. If it be to 
ask promotion to some office, know that he has none 
to give, for the shadow of Li-Kong stands between 
him and the Majesty of China.” 

“ Thy servant seeketh nothing for himself, O noble 
Ki, but to serve the Emperor, to whom through the 
great Woo-san-Kwei, he would present a petition.” 

“All petitions now pass through the Prince Li- 
Kong,” said Ki sorrowfully. 

“Then, by the vermilion pencil, I will seek the 
Emperor himself, 0 noble Ki.” 

“ dliou wouldst be slain in the attempt, O daring 
boy ; there is but one means.” 

“ Name it, O noble Ki, and thy name shall be 
buried in my heart,” said Nicholas impetuously. 

“It would be but to condemn thee to death.” 

“ Thou art laughing at me, O noble Ki,” replied 
Nicholas bitterly. 


A DANGEROUS ADVENTURE. 


143 


“Not SO, youth; and since thou hast set thy heart 
upon the venture, open thine ears to the only means,” 
said Ki ; adding, “ Know that the Emperor has one 
young and beautiful daughter, who apart from the 
bonzes and Li-Kong, alone dares to present a peti- 
tion to his majesty.” 

“ Again, I say, thou art laughing at me, O cruel 
Ki ; for how is it possible for a strange youth to pass 
the guard that surrounds the palace of the ladies ?” 

“ Know then, further, that every morning the prin- 
cess, with her ladies, walks in those gardens just 
beyond the prohibited wall ; through the outer gate 
you can pass by means of this key,” said Ki, giving 
him a key; adding, “Near the inner wall there is a 
tall mulberry-tree, up which you must climb, and so 
reach the top, and fall into the gardens ; then hide 
thyself till the royal lady passes. She will be atten- 
ded by the lady Candida Hiu, at whose feet throw 
thyself, proclaim thy mission, and she will influence 
her beautiful mistress to deliver thy petition to the 
Emperor ; but remember, O youth, should you cross 
the path of one of the eunuchs of the palace thy 
hours are numbered.” 

“ Noble Ki, I am thy servant for life,” said Nicho- 
las, kneeling and clasping the knees of the old colao ; 
adding, “but say, O Ki, who is this Lady Candida 
Hiu ?” 

“The pupil of the good Christian fathers whom 
the bonzes would have massacred, the Lady Candida 
is the friend and teacher of the princess, and but for 
her influence over her royal mistress, the punishment 


144 


THE WAR TIGER. 


would be death for worshiping in any of the many 
churches erected by the lady herself” 

“ Art thou then a disciple of the Saviour of man- 
kind, O Ki?” 

“ To the teaching of the lady Candida Hiu am I 
indebted for having forsworn the stupid worship of 
Fo and the selfish philosophy of Confucius,” replied 
the colao; adding, “But ask no more, O youth, for 
to speak of Christ out of the pale of that lady’s in- 
fiuence is to earn disgrace, if not death.” So saying 
the ex-minister retired, leaving Nicholas to his own 
thoughts. 


THE IMPERIAL GARDENS. 


1x5 


CHAPTER XYin. 

THE IMPERIAL GARDENS. 

The next morning Nicholas proceeded on his mis- 
sion, and, as the courts of the palace were crowded 
with soldiers and mandarins of various ranks, iii 
waiting to receive the great lords of state, who were 
that day to have audience with the Emperor, he man- 
aged to pass through the crowd without being once 
challenged. With but little difficulty, he found the 
door mentioned hy Ki, and passing through by means 
of the key, he entered a narrow lane between two 
walls. Near the inner wall stood the mulberry-tree, 
up which he clambered quickly, for he knew not who 
might enter the passage. When, by means of one of 
the branches, he had gained the top of the wall, his 
eyes drank in a new pleasure. • There, before, be- 
neath were the magnificent gardens of the inner pal- 
ace, and so charmed were his senses that for a minute 
it seemed as if the penalty of death were but a small 
price for the vision. The enclosed grounds were of 
many miles extent, and so varied in their arrange- 
ment, that they might have served for a model of the 
empire itself. There was something of most things 
natural and artificial in China : towering mountains 
cut into terraces and planted with trees of rarity and 
beauty ; fertile valleys laid out in orange groves and 
10 


146 


THE WAR TIGER. 


intermingled with murmuring rivulets ; then bridges 
of tinted marble, wrought to resemble flying dragons, 
whose eyes and scales were fhshiored from colored 
metals, flew across small lakes of clear, transparent 
water, in which, as a paradise of their own, gamboled 
shoals of gold and silver fish, w'hich at that time had not 
been brought to Europe ; then orchards of fruit trees, 
making the morning air redolent with the mingled 
scents of rare specimens of pears, apples, peaches, cit- 
rons, apricots, muscadine grapes, pomegranates, and 
oranges. The sides of the main canal, from which the 
dripping rivulets sprang, were embossed with cy- 
press and mulberry-trees, whose feet seemed planted 
in a sprinkled fringe of water melons. On this 
canal, with its awning of yellow silk and golden 
fringe, floated the gilded japanned pleasure barge of 
the ladies. ^ 

For a tinie the boy’s head swam with a new sensa- 
tion. Such, thought he, must have been the garden 
of that Emperor whose jealousy of the powers of the 
cruel winter over his summer beauties caused him to 
waste the revenue of a kingdom and the industry of 
a whole people in creating a garden of artificial flow- 
ers, forgetting that the amiual decay was alone the 
cause of the ever-living freshness and perfume of 
nature. 

Then the sweet scents and beauteous sight tired 
Nicholas, for he thought of the sufiering, starv- 
ing people. Surely it should not be possible for such 
a paradise to exist in the midst of so much treason 
and rotten-heartedness, and then the bold sea bov 


THE IMPERIAL GARDENS. 


147 


thought of his own rough life, and became disgusted 
with himself for dwelling upon so much sensuousness, 
for he knew that the empire had never smiled and 
prospered with a happy, peaceable and well-fed people, 
except when the Emperor had set the example of 
temperance and labor ; and, moreover, that luxury and 
indolence had ever preceded the downfall of dynas- 
ties ; and then by far more interesting became the 
cotton, the tallow and the mulberry-trees that Heaven 
had bestowed upon the land of China for the support 
of its hundreds of millions, and which had no voca- 
tion in such a garden of luxury. 

As it must be interesting to my young readers, I 
will give a description of these singularly valuable 
trees. The seed of the cotton shrub is sown by the 
husbandmen on the same day that they get in the 
harvest. When the rain has moistened the earth the 
shrub thrusts itself forward to a height of about two 
feet, and in the month of August gives forth a yellow 
or a red flower, which fades into a pod, which on the 
fortieth day after the appearance of the flower divides 
itself into three parts, each containing a wrapping of 
pure white cotton, similar in size to the ball of the 
silk-worm. At this period, the husbandmen fasten 
the ball to the pod, leaving it till the following year, 
when the fibres of the cotton become so securely 
fastened to the seeds, that the husbandman is com- 
pelled to separate them by means of two thin rollers, 
one of wood and the other of iro’ ., placed so close 
to each other, that in passing the cotton between 
them, the naked seed is exuded from behind. The 


148 


THE WAR TIGER. 


cotton is then carded and ready to be converted into 
calico, an employment that gives food to many thou- 
sands of people. 

Of equal value and more curious is the tallow-tree, 
which lights the whole of the empire. While the 
leaves and long stalks of this plant cause it to resem- 
ble the aspen and the birch, its trunk and branches 
resemble in shape, height, and size the cherry-tree 
From the grey bark, spring long elastic branches, the 
leaves of which grow but from the middle to the end, 
where they finish in a tuft, where the fruit grows in 
a hard brown husk of triangular form. The husk 
generally contains three kernels, covered with a thin 
substance resembling white tallow. When the husk 
begins to open and fall away, the fruit gradually ap- 
pears. Each kernel contains another of the size of a 
hemp seed, which from its oleaginous nature is con- 
verted into oil. 

To make the tallow, the shell and kernel are beaten 
together in boiling water till the surface becomes 
covered with fat, which when cold, condenses; then, by 
adding fair proportions of linseed oil and wax to give 
consistency, they have produced the material which, 
when shaped around a wick of hollow reed, produces 
the candles in use in China. Thus does nature and 
the ingenuity of the people create from this extraor- 
dinary tree a double means of lighting the empire. 

As for the mulberry-tree, it is so well known that I 
need but tell yc i, that after rice, the Chinese consider 
its culture as a sacred duty, and deservedly so, for by 
feeding the silk-worm, it not only clothes the people, 


THE IMPERIAL GARDENS. 


149 


but silk, being in immense demand over the known 
world, is the primary means of gmng them em- 
ployment ; indeed the mulberry-tree is an “ institu- 
tion,” and of such ancient date, that even in four 
thousand years old China, which contains the oldest 
records in the world, there is no authentic record of 
its discovery. There is a legend, however, “ that, till 
the days of Ti-Long, the wife of the Emperor Hoang- 
ti, the people were savages, and used the skins of ani- 
mals for clothing, but her far-sighted majesty noticed 
that as the people were many, and the animals few, 
they would soon become short of garments, when, 
like the parent of invention, she was pushed to a dis- 
covery that worms might be made the greatest man- 
ufacturers of her empire ; and that there is some 
truth in this fable seems likely, as, from the earliest 
times, the Empress of China has had a portion of the 
grounds of the palace planted as a mulberry grove, 
where, at certain periods of the year, she goes in state, 
to show her interest in the silk manufacture, by gather- 
ing three mulberry leaves, and unwinding a quantity of 
silk. Lastly, I may tell you, that the most learned 
men and the greatest ministers have devoted a great 
portion of their lives to teach the people “ how to 
bring up and feed silk worms, so as to obtain the 
greatest quantity and best quality of silk.” 

Is it not unjust that the race of worms should have 
been so long despised, when, for thousands of years, 
one of their representatives has been at the base of the 
prosperity of the largest, most populated, and longest- 
enduring empire since the foundation of the world ? 


150 


THE WAR TIGER. 


CHAPTER XIX. 

THE PKINCESSES OF THE MINGS, AND THE LADY 
CANDIDA. 

Enwrapped as the mind of Nicholas had been in 
the delicious scene around him, no sooner did he 
reach the ground than a bitter feeling arose that his 
beloved Emperor should be content to repose in such 
soft and costly indolence, while millions of his sub- 
jects were being plundered by rapacious nobles. In 
deep thought he reached the far-famed mulberry or- 
chard, where, for a time, he stood contemplating the 
industry of the marvelous httle worms whose number 
and color cast a sickly hue over the broad green 
foliage of the trees, then in full leaf. Passing through 
this orchard, he came in front of a mimic palace, 
hewn out of rock crystal, and which glittered in the 
sun, so that it was some minutes before his dazzled 
vision could perceive that he was near the imperial 
menagerie and aviary, where were kept the rare 
beasts and birds presented to the Emperor by his 
tributary kings. The sight was curious, and he would 
have stopped, but for the rustling of leaves in the or- 
chard, and the sound of soft footsteps, that warned 
him of his imprudence, and made him seek shelter in 
a small pagoda, from whence, through a kind of 


THE PRINCESS AND THE LADY. 


151 


loophole which fronted the menagerie, he conld see 
without being seen. Now his heart beat tremulously ; 
the footsteps might be those of the princess and her 
ladies. He was right in his conjecture, for scarcely 
had he placed himself at the loophole, when two 
ladies, attended by female slaves, who held above the 
heads of their mistresses umbrellas of embroidered 
yellow i silk deeply fringed with gold, came toward 
the menagerie. The princess was of middle height, 
with a form as graceful and elastic as a fawn ; her 
face, like those of all of her race, was broad, but fair 
almost as a European blonde, yet looked the fairer 
from its contrast with the raven hair and eyelashes 
which beneath the thin brows shaded a ^air of tiny 
jet black eyes, which like the purest diamonds, com- 
pensated by fire for their deficiency in size, and with 
the delicately small mouth, parted by a pair of thin 
pouting lips, lit up her sweet countenance with ani- 
mation and vivacity. Of her hands and feet I can 
say nothing, for they were hidden beneath the ample 
folds of her long gold-embroidered robe of yellow 
satin. Upon her head she wore a kind of crown of 
lich silk, decorated upon each side with a “fong- 
hoang,” the phoenix of China, which it is believed has 
but once appeared, and whose next advent will be 
the fore-running of the golden age. The extended 
wings of the little birds, which were of frosted gold, 
and sparkling with jewels, rested upon the forepart 
of the crown, so that while their beaks fell over the 
forehead, the spreading plumage of their tails afford' 
ed a graceful crest upon its summit ; moreover they 


152 


THE WAR TIGER. 


appeared to come with a tiny parterre of artificial 
flowers, which were fastened with a bevy of silver 
bodkins, whose heads were formed out of pearls, 
diamonds, and rubies; but far beyond her rare 
beauty and costly attire was the artlessness of her 
manner, which, arising from a virtuous heart and cul- 
tivated mind, won the love of all with whom she came 
in contact. 

As for Nicholas, he was bewitched, and from the 
moment his eyes rested upon her, he lost all doubt of 
the success of his mission. 

Of the lady in attendance I will only say, that she 
was of maturer age, and of fuller form. More plainly 
attired than the royal lady, she wore a robe of green 
silk, embroidered with flowers of the same color, and 
a head-dress of silk, slightly sprinkled with large 
pearls ; her brow was high, and her features regu- 
lar and handsome, but seemingly shadowed with care 
for the interests and ministers of Christ, to whose 
doctrines she had long been a convert ; for this lady 
was no other than the illustrious Candida Hiu, of 
whom the colao had spoken to Nicholas. Her histo- 
ry was remarkable, and may be told in a few lines. 
The Emperor at the commencement of his reign, had 
been so favorably disposed to the Christian religion, 
that, although not a convert himself, he had permit- 
ted many of the lords and ladies of his court to em- 
brace its tenets ; chief and most sincere among the 
proselytes had been the prime minister, Paul Syu, 
whose influence over his weak-minded master had 
enabled him to protect the missionaiies from the 


THE PRINCESS AND THE LADY. 


153 


jealous bonzes and pagan mandarins around. No 
sooner, however, had this good man gone to his 
grave, than the bonzes accused the Christians of en- 
deavoring to subvert the reigning family, and so art- 
fully did they intrigue, that the Emperor ordered the 
Christians to leave China, and a terrible persecution 
took place, when all the court but the Lady Candida 
and the son and daughter of the monarch, returned 
to the worship of Fo. As I have said, the Emperor’s 
love was so great for his beautiful daughter, that he 
permitted the princess and her friend Candida to 
follow the dictates of their own hearts ; hence it was 
that the good lady had been able to protect her 
fellow-Christians from the rapacity of the bonzes and 
mandarins, even to obtaining permission for them to 
remain in Pekin. Further, to show her zeal, she 
founded at her own cost no less than thirty churches 
in different parts of the empire, and had vast num- 
bers of rehgious books translated into Chinese, which 
she distributed by means not only of blind beggars, 
but vagabond fortune-tellers, whom she paid hand- 
somely to stand at the corners of streets, and read the 
Gospel, in place of practicing upon the credulity of 
the populace with their vile falsehoods. Such were 
the two ladies now within a few yards of Nicholas. 


154 


THE WAR TIGER. 


CHAPTER XX. 

BANGER OF THE PRINCESS. HER RESCUE BY NICHOLAS. 

As the princess and her friend approached, Nicho- 
las almost felt ashamed of his intrusion upon their 
privacy. Should he not appear to them in the despL 
cable light of an eaves-dropper ? Then he would deter- 
mine to come forward, but fell hack again in dread 
of giving offence. Then the ladies began a conversa- 
tion, and he dared not interrupt them. 

“ This then, dear Candida, is the sin-fin that my 
royal parent values so highly,” said the princess, 
looking at a large black ape of the ourang-outang 
species, which sat grinning, with its* elbows upon its 
knees. 

“ Truly, dear princess, this is the wonderful beast 
that the Prince Li-Kong has presented to the Em- 
peror, from the wild province of Yun-nan,” said 
Candida. 

“ Candida is surely laughing at her pupil, for is it 
not said that this Li-Kong is chiefest of the rebels, 
who have so lately been disturbing my royal parent’s 
repose?” 

“ Alas ! my princess, that it should be necessary to 
pour words of grief into thy sweet ears,” said Candi- 
da, sorrowfully. 


DANGER OF THE PRINCESS, 


155 


What words are these, Candida ? What grief 
can come in such a place of repose ? Truly you ter- 
rify without answering my question,” said the prin- 
cess, angrily. 

“ But that my sweet mistress alone possesses the 
ear of the Emperor, and may open it for the benefit 
of the starving millions of the empire, her friend and 
servant would not grieve her,” replied the lady. 

“ Tell me, O Candida, if thou wouldst not vex thy 
mistress, what mean these words,” said the princess, 
pettishly; adding, “Surely you would not protect 
the traitor Li-Kong.” 

“ It is of that prince thy servant would speak,” said 
the lady ; adding, “ Know then, O princess, that, 
angered at some refusal of thy royal father, the 
Prince Li-Kong, fled from the court, placed himself at 
the head of a robber army, and being joined by thou- 
sands of the starving people, among whom he made 
himself popular, took posession of two of the largest 
provinces, and caused himself to be proclaimed as 
Emperor, and took the title of Tien-Chun ( He that 
obeys Heaven), persuading the people that he had 
been appointed by Heaven to deliver them from the 
cruelty of the Emperor and his ministers.” 

“ Dared the dog say this ? Surely my royal father 
is the parent of his people.” 

“Kay, O princess, for as it was the duty of my 
father, the great minister, so is it mine, at the risk 
of death, to speak the truth. Until within the last 
moon, the greater part of the empire was in the hands 
of robbers and assassins, justice was openly sold by 


156 


THE TIGER. 


the mandarins to the highest bidder, the husband- 
men of the hills and fields and the tradesmen in the 
streets were dying by thousands of starvation, while 
the Son of Heaven was shut up in his palaces intent 
upon nothing but his pleasures and the society of the 
bonzes.” 

“ Candida, dear Candida, thou who art so truth-loV' 
ing that thou darest even to rebuke thy Emperor, canst 
thou tell thy friend and mistress that while all is so 
calm, beautiful, and happy within these walls, there 
can be so much misery without ?” said the princess, 
trembling with fear. 

“ Even worse, O dear princess, for while the im- 
perial storehouses are groaning with grain, thousands 
of people are dying of starvation within the walls of 
Pekin,” replied Candida. 

“ I dare not doubt thy words, O Candida, yet I 
will not believe that my great parent would keep close 
the public storehouses while his children were starv- 
ing,” said the princess. 

“ It is even worse, O princess, for the daily distri- 
bution of food has been withheld,” said Candida. 

With a vacant stare the princess gazed into the 
face of her friend for a moment, then with a flood of 
tears upon her cheeks, fell into her arms ; but recov- 
ering her presence of mind, she said, “ Truly this is a 
calamity; surely I have heard such things ever precede 
the downfall of dynasties ; but I will to my father’s 
presence, and dutifully implore him on my knees;” 
and she moved toward the palace as if to act upon her 
resolution, but Candida caught her in her arms, say* 


DANGER OF THE PRINCESS. 157 

ing, “ It would not be seemly, O princess, nay, it 
would be useless, for the Prince Li-Kong now pos- 
sesses the Emperor’s confidence. 

“ What words are these, O Candida ? Thou art 
indeed laughing at thy mistress, for didst thou not 
say the traitor was in open rebellion ?” 

“True, my princess, he was, till, for some vile pur- 
pose, he made his submission to Ten Thousand Years, 
who, as he brought the heads of some chiefs of the 
rebels, pardoned him, in the belief that his rebellion 
had been a trick, a pretence whereby he had the bet- 
ter subdued the other rebels.” 

With indignation in her heart at the traitor Li, and 
her eyes swimming with tears, she placed her hands 
affectionately in those of her friend — before, however, 
she could speak she shrieked with fright. The sin- 
fin had broken his cage and stood as erect as a man, 
clattering his teeth and grinning in her face, with his 
great paws upon her neck. The princess fainted ; 
not so the Lady Candida for she boldly clutched hold 
of the brute, who, however, without relinquishing 
his grasp of the princess, caught the Lady Candida 
by her head-dress and hair, and dragged them both 
In the direction of the lake, looking savagely at the 
screaming attendants, who scampered off as fast as 
their legs would carry them ; and so rapid were the 
movements of the brute, that he reached the verge 
of the water before Nicholas could thrust his sword 
into his hirsute side, a bit of a surprise that caused 
the beast to leave his hold of the ladies, when 
“ scotched” but not killed, and catching sight of his 


158 


THE WAR TIGER. 


real enemy, lie uttered a savage scream and sprang 
at him with extended claws, but so neat was the 
spring that the weapon of Nicholas passed through 
his heart, when he gave one last terrific leap and 
rolled over dead. 

The fright, the horror of feeling themselves in the 
sin-fin’s clutches, and the revulsion of feeling at the 
unexpected relief, made the ladies forget, as you may 
well imagine, the lesser terror of seeing a strange 
youth within the prohibited walls. As for Nicholas, 
he thought only of them both. However, seeing 
they had been more frightened than hurt, and that 
they were now regarding him with a mixed expres- 
sion of gratitude, surprise, and even anger, for so 
great is the modesty of women, and such the force 
of the custom in China, that rescue from death itself 
Avas scarcely sufficient to suppress the instinctive an- 
ger they felt at the intrusion of a boy in so sacred a 
place ; perceiving all this at a glance, Nicholas fell 
upon his knees, saying, “ Pardon, O great princess, 
for thus thy yellow girdle betokens thee. Let the 
life of thy mean servant be the penalty for his unpar- 
donable intrusion, jtnd he vfill not regret it, since he 
has been the means of saving the daughter of his 
Emperor, and the Christian-protecting Lady Candida, 
from the fangs of a vile beast.” 

“Rise, O youth, for it is not seemly that thou 
shouldst kneel at ' the feet of her whose life thou 
hast saA’Cd, and say Avhat chance hath brought 
thee hither,”- said the royal lady, smiling Avith SAveet 
gi’atitude. 



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DANGER OF THE PRINCESS. 


159 


“ Surely, O princess, chance can have no influence 
over the children of God, who must have sent thy 
servant hither as a manifest of his watchful care for 
those who obey his word and protect his worshipers,” 
replied ^^icholas earnestly. 

“ Then thou art of the Lord of heaven’s religion. 
But who art thou, O my poor youth, who thus seekest 
certain death by thy presence here?” said Candida, 
looking tremulously around, for fear of the approach 
of any of the eunuchs of the palace. 

“ Let this, O princess, bespeak the reason of thy 
servant’s intrusion, where even the daring Li-Kong 
cannot foil his purpose,” replied Nicholas, falling up- 
on his knees and presenting his father’s letter to the 
princess, who handed it to Candida, who no sooner 
glanced at the characters upon the envelope than she 
said angrily, “ This is from the rebel pirate, Chin- 
Chi-Loong.” 

“Should thy servant’s tongue be torn from his 
mouth, he would say those words are false, lady. 
The noble chief is neither pirate nor rebel ; if so, thy 
servant would not have risked his life to place that 
letter in the hands of the Son of Heaven,” said 
Nicholas firmly. 

“ If thy words are true, youth ” but as the 

Lady Candida spoke, a body of armed eunuchs en- 
tered the garden, so, giving the letter back to Nicho- 
las, she said, “Haste youth, for thy life;” but know- 
ing the attempt would be useless, he stood his 
ground firmly. 

“No, lady,” said he; “thy servant came here to 


160 


THE WAR TIGER. 


place that letter in the hands of the Emperor.’ 
Before he could say more the men had drawn 
around him. 

“ Tie the dog hand and foot,” said the chief. 

“Not so, O Lun-Yin,” said the princess. 

“ Thy slave dare not disobey the laws, O illustrious 
daughter of the Mings,” replied the chief, bowing to 
the earth. 

“Then convey the youth to the presence of the 
Emperor, for he has treason to disclose, but let not 
his limbs be bound at the peril of your life, and we 
will answer to our great father,” said the princess. 

When the ladies withdrew toward the inner palace 
the eunuchs led Nicholas through the small gate in- 
to a spacious court, which was crowded with soldiers, 
bonzes and servants, in attendance upon the great 
lords, who were then in council with the Emperor. 
Passing through the crowd they entered a magnifi- 
cent archway of veined marble into a vast court, 
across which ran a canal of water, so pellucid that 
shoals of gold and silver fish could be seen playing 
around the stems of the white-leaved lien-hoa at the 
bottom. Across this canal was thrown a bridge of 
glittering white marble, supported upon each bank 
by lions sculptured from the same material. From 
this bridge Nicholas could see that the whole court 
was surrounded with marble terraces, which led 
through small doorways into the imperial treasure 
rooms, which were full of precious metals, jewels, 
valuable furs, rare vases, and costly robes, and a 
variorum collection of silks, that had been presented 


DANGER OF THE PRINCESS. 101 

from the chief manufactories of the empire. Other 
rooms contained hows, arrows, saddles, arid even 
specimens of the choicest teas to he found in China. 
Leaving the treasures they entered the great court 
of the princes of the hlood, whose palaces shone with 
gilding, japan, and varnish, through which they passed 
hy a small side-gate into the hippodrome, or horse- 
racing court, which was crowded with mandarins of 
arms and letters, of inferior rank, besides the state 
chairs, and horse guards belonging to the princes. 
As they entered the hippodrome they saw a group 
of war mandarins gathered around a person who was 
clamoring for something that the mandarins must 
have deemed very absurd, for although so near the 
inner palace, they laughed loudly. Perceiving, how- 
ever, the chief of the eunuchs, they became suddenly 
grave, and bowed to the ground three times. 

“ How is this ? Are the dogs tired of their lives, 
that they venture to make this unseemly uproar 
within the very hearing of the Son of Heaven him- 
self?” said that officer angrily. 

“Truly, the all-powerful Yin would risk his flow- 
ery existence, laughing at this paper tiger, who is 
mad enough to demand an audience with the Son of 
Heaven,” replied one of the mandarins. Before, 
however, the chief of the eunuchs could reply, the 
person in question had thrown himself at his feet, 
crying, “ Pardon, O mighty officer of the palace, thy 
slave, who seeks a master bereft of his senses, and 
who is now wandering about the palace in search of 
the Son of Heaven. May he vanquish his enemies.” 

11 


162 


THE WAR TIGER. 


“ Thou, then, art the servant of this dog who has 
profaned the imperial gardens?” said the chief of 
the eunuchs ; adding, before Nicholas could inter- 
fere for Chow, “ Let the dog be taken to the prison, 
as he will doubtless be strangled with his master 
when the will of the Emperor is known.” 

“Then, in obedience to this command, the boy 
was hurried away, and Nicholas led forward to the 
court of the inner palace. 


ASSEMBLY OF THE PEINCES. 


163 


CHAPTER XXI. 

ASSEMBLY OF THE GREAT PRINCES OF THE EMPIRE. 

The audience-chamber of the Emperor was a vast 
square hall of great height. The ceiling was of pale 
green, sculptured in devices, and decorated with 
paintings, charged at intervals with the Emperor’s 
crest in gold. The walls were smooth and without 
other ornament than the carved window frame, which 
was set with panes of richly painted paper. The roof 
w^as supported by rows of columns, elaborately sculp- 
tured and japanned, w^hich rested upon a pavement 
of the rarest veined marble, of so high a polish that it 
reflected the whole interior. 

In the centre stood a lofty alcove, above which, up- 
on a drapery of yellow silk, were embossed in pale blue 
enamel the words “ Ching Hoang,” (Holy Emperor). 
Beneath, upon a dais, ascended by a flight of broad 
steps was a throne of frosted gold, surmounted and 
upheld by dragons of the same metal, but burnished, 
and whose claws rested upon a carpet of blue velvet, 
besprinkled with the same monsters in silver. 

Opposite the throne upon a raised platform, were 
placed several vessels of the precious metals, filled 
with incense, which, as it burned, sent forth a deli- 
cious perfume, and candlesticks ingeniously wrought 
into the shape of animals. 


164 : 


THE WAR TIGER. 


From the throne to the end of the wall, ranged so 
as to form an alley, stood the great officers of state, 
attired in large flowing robes of silk, flounced Avith 
gold, and bearing on their breasts the insignia of their 
diflerent c.ignities; those belonging to the military 
department Avearing golden buttons on their caps and 
tigers or lions on their breasts, A\diile the civil officers, 
who Avere of higher rank, Avore birds in place of 
beasts. At the back of these mandarins were other 
officers, bearing umbrellas of silk brocade, fringed 
with gold ; there Avere also many Avho AVore the but- 
ton of an inferior rank, and who wore large fans of 
silk, embroidered Avith gold ; others with large stand- 
ards, sprinkled with golden stars, dragons, the sun, and 
the moon in all its quarters, to represent the twenty- 
eight mansions of the heavens, and their conjunctions 
and oppositions Avith the sun, as they appear in the 
intersections of the circles, Avhich the astronomers call 
the dragon’s head and tail. FTear the Avails stood a 
number of mandarins of inferior rank, both civil and 
military, bearing maces, axes, hammers, and swords. 
Upon the steps of the throne stood the princes of 
the blood, attired in the costumes of their civil or 
military rank, the only tokens of their imperial blood, 
being the large yellow or red girdle, and the circle in- 
stead of the square in which the bii'd or beast is Avorn 
upon the breast. 

The left hand being the place of honor in China, on 
that side of the throne stood the imperial but unfortu- 
nate Prince, Yong-Li, a youth of flfteen years of age, 
near to whom stood the aged W oo, Avhose office, that 


ASSEMBLY OF THE PRINCES. 


165 


of a colao or censor, was at once the most dangerous 
and most popular in the empire, his duty being to 
check the great mandarins, and even the Emperor 
himself, in the wrong exercise of their authority. 
This officer may be termed the representative of that 
public opinion in China which moulds its irresponsi- 
ble despotism somewhat to the shape of a constitu- 
tional government. One step lowei\ in the full cos- 
tume of tsong-tou (a great viceroy), stood the Prince 
Woo-san-Kwei. This prince was the son of the cen- 
sor Woo, and one of the most remarkable men of bis 
time. He was tall and stately, and, like the rest of 
the nobles of the Ming dynasty, wore his hair in long 
and luxuriant tresses ; moreover, like his parent W oo, 
he wore the circle upon his breast, and around his 
waist the girdle of red, which betokened him to be 
of the second rank of the princes of the blood. Upon 
the opposite side of the throne, and one step nearer, 
as became his closer relationship to the monarch, 
stood the first prince of the yellow girdle, Li-Kong, a 
man whose influence upon those tempestuous times 
was as remarkable for bad as that of Woo-san-Kwei 
was for good ; he was also a tang-tou. 

Kext this prince, in their robes of office, stood the 
colaos, or ministers of state, and with them an officer 
whose bird-embroidered robe and cap betokened him 
a mandarin of letters of the highest rank in the great 
college of Han-Lin. This officer was tutor to the heir 
to the throne, but in addition held an office so pecu- 
liar, that I do not think you will accuse me of tedious- 
ness if I tell you something about it. He was the 


166 


THE WAR TIGER. 


chief historian of the empire, an appointment which, 
if carried out with similar integrity, would be credit- 
able to' other empires besides China. 

“These historians,” says a writer who resided 
within the walls of the palace thirty years, “ consist 
of a certain number of men, who, for their learning 
and impartiality are purposely chosen for this office. 
Their business is to observe narrowly not only the 
actions but the words of the Emperor, which, without 
communication with the others, each must write upon 
a loose piece of paper, and put it through a chink in- 
to an office set apart for the purpose. 

“ In these papers both the Emperor’s virtues and 
faults are set down with the same liberty and impar- 
tiality. ‘Such a day,’ say they, ‘the Emperor’s be- 
havior was unseasonable and intemperate; he spoke 
after a manner which became not his dignity. The 
punishment which he inflicted on such an officer was 
rather the efiect of his passion than the result of his 
justice. In such an affair, he stopped the sword of 
justice, and abrogated the just senteffiieof the magis- 
trate.’ Or else, ‘ The Emperor entered courageously 
into a war for the defence of his people and for the 
maintain an ce of the honor of his empire ; and, not- 
withstanding the commendations given him by his 
flatterers, he was not puffed up, but behaved himself 
modestly, his words were tempered with all the 
sweetness and humility possible, which made him 
more loved and admired by his court than ever.’ 

“ Such is the way in which they record down all 
that occurs ; but that neither fear on the one side, nor 


A^SSEMBLY OF THE PRINCES. 167 

hope on the other, may bias men to give a partial re- 
cord of the Emperor, the office wherein these papers 
are kept is never opened during the life of the sover- 
eign, or while any of his family sit upon the throne. 
When, however, the imperial dignity passes into an- 
other family, all these loose memoirs are gathered 
together, compared, and a history composed, that 
either hands down the Emperor as an example to 
posterity, or exposes him to the censure and odium of 
the nation, if he has been negligent of his own duty and 
his people’s good. Thus is it the interest of the Em- 
peror to be circumspect, and cautious how he behaves 
himself during his reign.” 

With reference to the history of events and the 
progress of the people generally, it is the custom for 
each city to keep an exact record of every memorable 
event as it happens, its most remarkable places and 
inhabitants, good or bad ; moreover, of their man- 
ners and customs ; and although there are many who, 
by offering bribes to the governor, obtain honorable 
mention in these annals, upon the whole the accounts 
are considered to be tolerably accurate, for at the end 
• of every forty years the mandarins of every city as- 
semble and examine the accounts, and expunge what 
they deem unfit to remain recorded. 

Theoretically, the wdll of the emperor is the only 
law ; the lives, fortunes, and worldly happiness of his 
subjects depend upon its wildest caprice ; but, in 
reality, it is only theoretically, for in the words of 
another great authority, who not only resided at the 
court of Pekin some thirty years, but absolutely held 


168 


THE WAR TIGER. 


office therein. “ One would imagine that this unlim 
ited power of the Emperor wo^d often occasion very 
unfortunate events in the government, and indeed it 
sometimes hath, as nothing in this world is without 
its alloy of inconvenience, yet so many are the provi- 
sions and so wise the precautions w^hich the laws 
have pescribed to prevent them, that a prince must 
be w^holly insensible of his owm reputation and even 
interest, as well as the public good, who continues 
long in the abuse of his authority ; for if he hath any 
regard for his owm reputation, there are three things 
which will prevail with him to govern by justice, not 
passion : first, the old laws, given from the foundation 
of the empire, have laid it dowm as a standing maxim, 
that kings are properly the fathers of their people, 
and not masters placed upon the throne only to he 
served by slaves. The words in italics contain a doc- 
trine, by the way, that our first James strived so 
hard to inculcate, that it ultimately led to a revolu- 
tion in England, not yery dissimilar to that in China, 
of w^hich I am now writing. Such having been the 
teaching of those law-givers, Confucius and others, 
who are to the present day venerated as deities in 
China, the Emperor’s proudest title of honor has been 
in all ages Ta-fou” (that is, grandfather). 

This theory of what the Emperor should be, is so 
deeply imprinted in the minds of the people and the 
mandarins, that, when they oflTer praises, whether de- 
served or not, it is based upon his presumed affection 
for his people. The teachers and philosophers con- 
tinually set forth in their books that the state is but a 


ASSEMBLY OF THE PRINCES. 160 

large family, and that he who knows how to govern 
the one is best capable of governing the other • so 
that, if the Emperor neglects, never so little, tbe 
practice of this maxim, he may be a great warrior, an 
able politician, a learned man, and yet meet with 
neither love nor esteem from his people. Indeed, 
they value him only as they beheve he is, or is not, a 
father to them. 

Thus, as I have shown you, not only the censor, 
but, in a lesser degree, every mandarin may tell the 
Emperor of his faults, provided it be in a manner 
agreeable to that veneration and profound respect 
which is due to his office. The manner, however, in 
which this is done, is somewhat roundabout. The 
mandarin who perceives any thing in the Emperor’s 
conduct contrary to the maxims laid down in the 
sacred books, draws up a request, in which, after 
having set forth the respect which he bears toward 
his majesty, he most humbly prays that he will please 
to reflect upon the ancient laws and good examples 
of his great predecessors. This request lies upon a 
a table among many other petitions, which are daily 
presented and which the Emperor is obliged to read ; 
and if he does not change his conduct, the petition is 
repeated again and again till the end has been gained, 
or the mandarin himself punished for his presump- 
tion. The latter, however, never happens, except 
with bad and tyrannical Emperors. 


170 


THE WAR TIGER. 


CHAPTER XVII. 

THE BOY PRINCE AND THE RIVAL GENERALS. 

Thus were the great princes and lords of China 
awaiting the coming of their imperial master, and 
wdth something hke impatience, for often, of late, had 
his majesty kept them waiting for hours, and then 
granted no audience at all. Such, however, was not 
to be the case then, for soon the sounds of wind in- 
struments were heard, pages and eunuchs entered 
from the door which led to the imperial apartment, 
followed by the favorite body attendants of the sove- 
reign, then the Emperor himself ; — and the mandarins 
in the body of the hall, and the lords upon the steps 
of the throne, bent their heads till their foreheads 
touched the floors, in which position they remained, 
awaiting the command of the monarch to arise. 
Wey-t-song, the last of the Ming Emperors, was of 
middle height and spare flgure, at least for a Chi- 
nese, whose notion of manly beauty consists of large 
and bulky form ; he was attired in a robe of yellow 
silk, embroiderered with five-clawed dragons, a neck- 
lace of costly pearls, and a golden girdle fastened 
around his waist by a jeweled clasp; his higji cap or 
crown of purple satin, sparkled with jewels, and was 
decorated with the peacock’s feather, which fell upon 


THE BOY PBINCE. 


171 


his long black hair; his hoots were of purple satin, 
aud fitted tightly to the shape of the feet ; as for his 
hands, they were hidden beneath the folds of his 
robe. 

"Wheii the Emperor had seated himself upon the 
throne, a graceful movement with his ample sleeves 
gave the sign for the kneeling courtiers to arise, and 
they stood with their arms straightened and eyes 
turned upon the ground, pretending that the sight of 
so much majesty was too dazzling for their vision. 

Thus, for a time, all was silent, till the censor Woo, 
falling upon his knees, and holding above his head his 
silver seal of office, gravely said, “ Since our lord has 
vouchsafed us his heavenly audience, and the door of 
the imperial apartments is no longer disfigured by the 
audience-denying tablet, it is the duty of the meanest 
of his slaves to open his lips, even at the risk of his 
life.” 

“ Rise, thou venerable noble, for it is not seemly 
that one who is at age’s extremity should kneel, even 
before the Emperor. Rise, noble W oo, for thy years 
demand that thy petition should be heard standing,” 
said Wey-t-song, aiding the aged man to his feet. 

“ Alas ! dread prince, thy servant’s days have been 
too long, for he has lived to see a successor of the 
great Emperors, Yu and Yaou, forget that Heaven 
had made him the father of his people,” said Woo, 
sadly. 

“What words are these? Surely the noble Woo 
presumes upon his age, for has it not been wisely said 
that the will of the Emperor is omnipotent ?” 


172 


THE WAR TIGER. 


“ It is written in the sacred hooks, O prince, thaf it 
is equally criminal in the Emperor and the subject to 
violate the laws. Truly the life of the minister is the 
property of his sovereign, but the dignity of his office 
belongs to the country, which is even now torn into 
shreds by maladministration,” replied the firm old 
noble ; adding, “ For when the Emperor becomes 
negligent of his duty, and sinks into a lover of luxury 
and ease, the spirit of indolence must pervade the 
occupant of every mandrinate ; so, at the present time, 
every viceroy and governor has grown to think him- 
self the sovereign, instead of the father and teacher 
of his province; each minister, in defiance of the law, 
sells places to those unfit to occupy them ; and thus the 
people, being oppressed, have arisen in rebellion over 
the empire, to the advantage of rogues and thieves, 
who await but the finding of some bold bad man 
to enable them to change, O prince, thy very dynasty. 
Yet surely this is not without cause, for hath it not 
been asked, ‘ Why hath Heaven placed the Emperor 
upon the 'throne, if not to be our parent?’ and there- 
fore he ought not to make himself feared, but in pro- 
portion as he deserves to be loved for his goodness 
and virtue ; therefore, at the risk of his life, the cen- 
sor dares tell his dread sovereign that while the peo- 
ple are sufiering, the Emperor should forget his 
pleasures, fast in his palace, punish thd offending 
mandarins, remit the taxes of the suffering provinces, 
and employ his whole thoughts in alleviating their mis- 
fortunes. Like the Emperors of old, he should la- 
ment night and day till the evils are remedied. Such 


THE BOY PRINCE. 


173 


ar^ the words of the aged Woo, who hath lived 
through the reigns of six of thy illustrious predeces- 
sors, and they have been called forth, O dread prince, 
by thy neglect of the petitions which he has laid upon 
the imperial table. If thy slave offendeth, O prince, 
let his worthless head be the penalty, for he has done 
his duty ; and the old noble again fell at the feet of 
Wey-t-song, who, giving way to a paroxysm of pas- 
sion, rose, and, placing his hand upon the hilt of his 
sabre, exclaimed, “ What words are these old man ? 
Is the Emperor a slave that thou darest so far ?” But, 
despot and even cruel as he was, the age and daring 
of the old noble had excited in the eyes of the sur- 
rounding courtiers such unmistakable gleams of satis- 
faction, that, really afraid of proceeding to extremi- 
ties, he fell back upon his throne, saying, “ Arise, 
noble Woo, and that in the licence of thy office thou 
hast uttered words of wind against thy Emperor, the 
rebel-subduing General Li-Kong will testify.” 

Upon this, the Prince Li-Kong, falling upon his 
knees, said, “Truly, O august and sovereign Emper- 
or, the age of the noble Woo must have diminished 
his eye-balls, or he would have seen in the Imperial 
Gazette that the Emperor, our father, having heard 
of the rebellion in the provinces, had despatched his 
mean servant, myself, with a correcting army, and that 
thy unworthy relation had secured a lasting internal 
peace.” 

“ And thy reward, prince ?” said the Emperor ?” 

“ The generalship of the home armies, and the favor 
of my great sovereign, who will not open his heavenly 


174 


THE WAR TIGER. 


ears to the words of these rogues, who accuse thy 
servant and mean relation of ingratitude and treason.’^ 

“ This reminds us that the reward is inadequate to 
thy services, most princely Li. Let it therefore be 
proclaimed throughout the empire that the grateful 
Wey-t-song is about to bestow upon the kingdom- 
soothing Prince Li-Kong the hand of his only daugh- 
ter in marriage,” said the Emperor. 

But before the prince could thank the Emperor, the 
General Woo-san-Kwei fell upon his knees before the 
throne, saying, “ The humblest but most devoted of 
thy servants would dare to claim the heavenly ears of 
his most august prince.” 

“ If the barbarian-subduing general has aught to 
counsel let him open his lips.” 

“ Then, truly, O dread Emperor, it must be at the 
risk of my life ; for so many moons has thy servant 
been engaged in defending the frontiers of the empire 
against the Tartar barbarians, that he has lost the 
submissive tones fitted to thy heavenly ears,” said 
Woo-san-Kwei. 

“Let the general open his lips, for although his 
words may be more warlike, they cannot be rebel- 
lious, like those of his noble parent.” 

“The words of the noble Woo fiowed from his 
heart, O prince, and were approved by his son, who 
now, as in duty bound, would counsel his sovereign, 
that, although the services of the rebel-exterminating 
genei’al have been great, his reward has been greater 
than his merits, for does he not hold the golden seals 
of the highest military command ? As for the prin- 


THE BOY PRINCE. 


175 


cess, she is the daughter of the empire, and too ex- 
alted to be bestowed upon the noble Li-Kong. Re- 
member, O Emperor, it will be the duty of the histo- 
rians to record that the Emperor Wey-t-song, instead 
of commanding, had been weak enough to purchase 
the services of a powerful lord, tainted with treason, 
with the pnly daughter of his house ; setting aside 
the wise custom of his ancestors, who bestowed their 
daughters upon tributary kings, whereby alliances 
were formed for the prosperity of the empire,” said 
the Prince Woo-san-Kwei ; adding, “At the risk of 
his life has thy servant spoken, O prince, for fear that 
thy too great generosity may smear thy page in his- 
tory.” 

“ Scarcely dissembling his enmity, Li-Kong spoke, 
“ Truly my sovereign is too generous to permit the 
envy of his servant’s enemies to have weight in his 
dragon ears.” 

“The kingdom-soothing general speaks well, for 
who is this turbulent lord, and what the value of his 
services, that he dares be so rebellious ?” said the 
Emperor; adding, angrily, “Let the dog be arrest- 
ed ; when the young prince threw himself before the 
throne, and said — 

“Let my illustrious parent not so far forget his royal 
dignity as to vent his anger upon the honest Woo- 
san-Kwei, who has saved the kingdom from the Tartars, 
and offered his counsel only by right of his high rank. 
Ko, O my sovereign, rather let the hand of my dear 
sister be withheld until the Prince Li has further 
proved his merits, by showing to his Emperor that 


176 


THE WAR TIGER. 


he has really performed those wonderful feats of con- 
quest which he now boasts, but all others deny.” 

At this speech a half-suppressed murmdr of appro- 
bation rang through the hall, which brought a heavy 
frown upon the forehead of Wey-t-song. As, howev- 
er, he really feared a quarrel with either of these 
powerful princes, he said, “ Though young, the words 
of the Prince Yong-Li are wise, for it is not fitting 
that our people should be feasting and rejoicing at 
the marriage of our daughter, while it is not certain 
that the rebels are-subdued, and the Tartars upon 
the frontiers. It is, therefore our will that our 
daughter’s hand be withheld till entire peace be 
restored.” 

Then the whole court bowed to the ground three 
times in submision to the imperial will, and the 
Emperor moved the sleeves of his robe, as a token 
that the audience was at an end, when the chief of 
the eunuchs ran quickly up the avenue formed by the 
court, till he reached about half way, when he stood 
with his head erect and his arms by his side for a 
minute, then having performed the usual prostrations, 
he ran to the foot of the throne, where he threw 
himself upon his knees. 

“ Is the slave mad, that he dares intrude in this our 
highest council-chamber?” said the Emperor. 

“ The life of the slave is in the hands of his master, 
yet must he perform his duty. Treason is within 
the very walls, O my sovereign.” 

At the word treason the blood of Taitsou be- 
came weak as water, for the royal face became livid 


THE BOY PRINCE. 177 

with fear. He grasped his sabre, saying, “ What 
says the slave?” 

“ Two boys, O dread sovereign, have been found 
within the prohibited wall ; one even within the sa- 
cred precincts of the imperial gardens.” 

At the words two boys there was a half-suppressed 
titter, probably at the little cause the Emperor had 
had to fear ; but at the mention of the garden of the 
inner palace, the aged W oo said, “ Surely, O great 
sovereign, the worthy eunuch has overstepped his 
duty ; these young slaves should have been handed 
over to the police tribunals.” 

“ The noble Woo is right,” replied the Emperor. 
“ What has the dog of a eunuch to say for intruding 
in our presence with such matters?” 

“ The will of the Emperor is the life-blood of the 
meanest of his slaves, and but little else is that of 
the princess in whose presence one of the dogs was 
found, and at whose command he is brought hither,” 
replied the trembling eunuch. 

“ The profane slave !” muttered the surrounding 
mandarins, clutching the hilts of their swords, 

“ The will of our beloved daughter is law ; let the 
audacious slave be brought before us,” said the 
Emperor. 

12 


178 


THE WAR TIGER. 


CHAPTER XXm. 

AUDIENCE WITH THE SON OF HEAVEN. NICHOLAS 

ACCUSES A GREAT PRINCE OF TREASON. 

Nicholas was led into the hall between two inferior 
mandarins, and had no sooner prostrated himself at 
the foot of the throne, than the Prince Li-Kong said, 
“ Surely the eyes of the Emperor of the earth are 
too holy to be darkened by such mean dogs as this. 
Let the common executioner deal with him, for their 
can be no doubt of his guilt.” 

“ Stop not the fountain of justice at its very source, 
O my sovereign, for when was it that a good king 
refused to listen to the meanest of his slaves ?” said 
"SYoo; but before the Emperor could reply, one of 
the great officers of the palace ran up to the steps 
of the throne, performed the prostrations, and being 
commanded to speak, 

“ The great and beautiful princess, thy daughter, 
begs an audience of her illustrious father,” said the 
officer. 

The Emperor having signified his assent, the prin- 
cess, accompanied by the Lady Candida, and both 
veiled, knelt before the Emperor, who, lifting her 
from her kneeling position, said afifectionately, “Truly 
my daughter must have matter of weighty import 


THE SON OF HEAVEN. 179 

upon her lips, thus to break through the delicacy of 
her sex and rank.” 

“Pardon, great prince, if thy daughter has forgot- 
ten what is due either to her parent or her sex, but 
it is a common saying, ‘that those who forget favors 
conferred upon them are unfit to live,’ and therefore 
thy daughter would protect the life of one who saved 
her from a cruel death,” said the princess. 

“ Has the safety of the pearl of my life been en- 
dangered ?” said the Emperor, trembling at the pos- 
sibility of such a catastrophe, and placing his hands 
uj^on her head ; adding, “ What words are these, my 
daughter, for is not the empire crowded with those 
who would deem happiness if it were to save their 
princess from danger.” 

“ Not one of whom could have saved her from the 
savage sin-fin, who, having escaped from his cage, 
had seized her, when yonder bold youth slew the 
beast.” 

The Lady Candida then described the whole scene 
in the gardens to the Emperor, who forgetful of the 
desecration of the place by the profane feet of 
Nicholas, nay, of every thing but the escape, of his 
belov(5d child from a fearful death, commanded the 
release of Nicholas ; but again the general Li-Kong 
stepped forward. 

“ It is true,” said he, “ that the beautiful and illus- 
trious princess has been saved from great peril, and 
the whole empire will rejoice; yet it is a maxim, 
that the laws should be enforced even upon the im- 
perial kindred.’ Moreover, my sovereign, in his gen- 


180 


THE WAR TIGER. 


erosity, forgets that the cage of the beast could not 
have opened itself, and that the slave merits death 
for being in the garden.” 

“ Though not generous, the words of the rebel-ex- 
terminating general are just,” replied the weak 
prince ; adding, to Nicholas, sternly, “ What says the 
boy ; what traitorous errand brought him within the 
sacred gardens of our palace ?” 

“ The life of the slave belongs to the master. The 
personal safety of thy servant, O great prince, was 
nothing when he desired to place in thy hands a let- 
ter of the greatest moment, from one far greater than 
the lords around thy throne.” 

“These are wild words, O youth; for know you 
not that it was the duty of our chief colao to receive 
thy letter ? said the Emperor, interrupting. 

“ Mean as is thy servant, O prince, he knew that 
treason was within the palace, and that the letter 
would never reach thy royal hands ; therefore, that it 
should not fail to do so, I sought the imperial gar- 
dens with the daring hope of meeting thy royal 
daughter, knowing that if my life were sacrificed, my 
mission would be fulfilled,” said Nicholas; adding, 
“ Such has been the crime, and the criminal awaits his 
punishment.” 

“ This letter,” said the Emperor. 

“Is here, great prince,” and Nicholas present- 
ed the document to Wey-t-song, who tore open the 
seals, and for some minutes became lost in the perusal 
of its contents, after which, to the surprise of the 
court, he placed it beneath his vest, saying, “This 


THE SON OF HEA.VEN 


181 


letter must be for the consideration of our inner coun- 
cil. Youth, thy honesty and loyalty are beyond 
doubt, and we permit thee to name thy own reward.” 

“ Thy slave, O prince, would ask one so great, that 
the greatest of thy tributaries would seek it upon his 
knees,” was the reply, to the astonishment of the 
lords, who expected it would be nothing less than 
the hand of the princess. “No less, indeed, than a 
private audience,” added Nicholas, which, with a 
smile at this novel and modest request, the Emperor 
granted. 

“ May this not be a trap, O my prince, to beguile 
thy person within reach of the assassin’s dagger ?” 
said the artful but baffled Li-Kong. 

“ The dagger to be feared by thy sovereign, base 
prince, is beneath thine own vest,” said Nicholas. 

“ Dares the dog so far ?” said the exasperated 
Li-Kong. 

“Forget not thy dignity, O noble Li,” said Woo- 
san-Kwei, touching that prince upon the shoulder, and 
adding, “ Yet it is but just that such an assertion, 
made in the very presence of the Emperor, should be 
verified.” 

The Emperor came to the rescue, saying, “ Open 
thy lips, youth, for, well as we think of thy honesty, 
thou hast uttered words against the noblest of our 
yellow girdles, which as they are true or false merit 
reward or punishment.” 

Thus challenged Nicholas fell upon his knees, and 
related his adventure at the palace of retirement, de- 
claring that the two men were plotting the dethrone- 


182 


THE WAR TIGER. 


ment of the Emperor, and that the chief of the two 
was the Prince Li-Kong himself. At this bold and 
circumstantial accusation, the young Prince Yong-Li 
and the great lords on the steps of the throne, placed 
their hands upon their swords, and alternately glanc- 
ing at Li-Kong and Nicholas, awaited the command 
of the Emperor to seize either accuser or accused. 
For an instant the lips of Li-Kong quivered with fear 
or rage, but, recovering his equanimity, he gave a 
signal with his hand, when a large body of military 
mandarins came around him, and fell upon their knees 
before the Emperor, when Li said, “ Are the services 
of thy servant so soon forgotten, have the rebels 
been no sooner chastised, and peace restored within 
the empire, that the exterminator and his officers 
should be as mice before the words of this less than 
a dog ? O my sovereign ! let these officers be ques- 
tioned, and they will prove that on the night of which 
the dog speaks, their general was engaged in discover- 
ing a new conspiracy among the Fan-Kwi priests.” 

“ What words are these, O prince ?” said the Em- 
peror, whose alarm had been artfully turned in an- 
other direction. “ Have we not honored these 
priests, even to making their chief the president of 
our high board of mathematics ?” 

“Yet such is the ingratitude of the barbarians, O 
my Emperor, that, in league with the outer barba- 
rians, they seek to overthrow the empire.” 

“ Let my guards instantly secure every villain 
priest within the walls of the city,” said the terrified 
Emperor. 


THE SON OF HEAVEN. 


183 


“ Thy slaves have been diligent, and thy command 
anticipated, O Emperor ; the miserable chief of the 
mathematics and his brethren have been carried be- 
fore the three tribunals, their guilt proved, and most 
mercifully adjudged to be strangled ; the sentence 
but awaits the vermilion pencil of the Emperor,” said 
Li-Kong. 

“ The judges have failed in the duties of their office 
by so mild a sentence, for which let them all be de- 
graded three degrees of rank, and the priests be cut 
into ten thousand pieces,” said the Emperor. 

“ If the crime be proved, the sentence is light ; if 
not, terrible must be thy remorse, O my sovereign, 
for the learned father’s services have been great. 
Surely, then, thy wisdom alone should seek to dis- 
cover the guilt or innocence of this enormous culprit, 
or much-injured priest,” said Woo. 

“The words of the venerable Woo, O my royal 
father, are worthy of his years and the imperial dig- 
nity; let not thy indignation rather than thy justice 
adjudge this priest, but command that he be brought 
before thee,” said the young prince, earnestly. 

“ Thy words are but reasonable, my son ; we will 
examine the Christian dog ourselves,” said the Em- 
peror. When, at a signal, the aged missionary, Adam 
Schaal, was brought before the throne, so laden with 
iron chains that his form was bent to the shape of a 
bow ; still, with his long white hair and beard, and 
the unflinching, piercing blue eye of his German race, 
he looked, as he was, a willing martyr for the cause 
of his Saviour. 


184 


THE WAR TIGER. 


At the sight of his old favorite thus humiliated, 
even the Emperor melted with pity and doubt as to 
his guUt. “ Can it be under heaven,” said he, “that 
so holy a body should contain so vile a heart ? Have 
we not protected and fostered thee and thy compan- 
ions in the heart of our empire, giving thee permission 
to build thy temples and even to convert the people 
to thy religion; nay, moreover, raised thee to the 
first rank among the learned ? Canst thou answer, 
thou villainous old man ?” 

“ It is even these favors, O mighty Emperor, that 
liave raised the envy of the enemies of Christ, who, 
jealous of the success of thy servant’s cause, seek to 
destroy him, that they may triumph over his religion ; 
and if their malice should prevail, the Christian 
priest will die blessing the great Emperor who ena- 
bled him to do so much good.” 

“ What says the accuser to these words ?” said the 
Emperor, sternly, more than half believing in the 
father’s innocence. 

“Stand forth, O Hung,” said Li-Kong; when a 
mandarin of the second degree fell before the throne 
and held above his head some medals, a book, and a 
chaplet of beads, saying, “ Are not these proofs of 
the old rogue’s guilt ?” 

“ They are, O my sovereign, the mysterious sym- 
bols and secret marks used by the initiated in the 
great conspiracy, which is now insidiously spreading 
throughout the empire, and known to each other.” 

“ How ! what dog’s words are these, thou ignorant 
slave ? Host thou not know that these are the symbols 


THE SON OF HEAVEN. 


185 


of the Lord of heaven’s religion ?” replied the Em- 
peror, who, at the beginning of his reign, having be- 
friended the missionaries, and made himself master of 
the mysteries and symbols of their religion, was far 
beyond most of his nobles in intelligence. 

“ It is so alleged, O dread sovereign, by the villains, 
for their own vile ends, and should it be even so, the Son 
of Heaven can not doubt this proof of guilt,” replied 
the mandarin, placing a letter in the Emperor’s hands. 

For some time there was a dread silence; when, 
however, the Emperor had perused the document, his 
eye sparkled with rage, and he exclaimed, “Truly 
the proof is overwhelming, and it is to the viceroy of 
Quang-Tung the Emperor owes the discovery of this 
villainy. Bring hither the petition of the criminal 
tribunal for the villain’s execution. Moreover, let it 
go forth through the earth that every Christian dog 
be exterminated and the court having prostrated 
themselves three times in token of obedience, one of 
the colaos presented the petition or sentence to the 
Emperor, which as he was about to confirm, by affix- 
ing the signature of the vermilion pencil, Nicholas 
threw himself at the foot of the throne, crying at the 
risk of his life, “ O great Emperor, thy slave dares 
proclaim the extreme villainy of the great viceroy of 
Quang-Tung, whose jealousy and envy of the favors 
his royal master has bestowed upon the good father 
has caused him to seek his life.” 

“ Is the boy pirate mad that he dares so insolently 
presume upon his small services, as to interrupt the 
course of justice ?” exclaimed the angry Emperor. 


186 


THE WAR TIGER. 


Taking from his vest the letter his father had given 
him for Father Adam, Nicholas said, boldly, “ This 
letter, O great sovereign, thy servant was command- 
ed by his parent to place in the hands of the priest 
Adam. Should it contain treason, the Emperor can 
punish on the spot, for both the priest and the son of 
the writer are in his hands. Should it be otherwise, 
his royal generosity will know how to reward.” 

No less surprised than appeased by the boy’s ve- 
hemence, Wey-t-song commanded the censor Woo to 
proclaim aloud its contents, to which the nobles, as 
they were friends or enemies of the .priests of Christ, 
listened with divided attention. The document was 
lengthy and tedious, and directed by Chin-Chi-Loong, 
the merchant of the south, to his illustrious teacher 
and religious parent, the Father Adam Schaal, warn- 
ing him that the viceroy of Quang-Tung, in conjunc- 
tion with the bonzes of the court, whom he had 
bribed at Pekin, had organized such a scheme that it 
could not fail to appear clear that the Christian priests 
in China were at the head of a conspiracy to dethrone 
the Emperor, at whose feet he advised the Father 
Adam immediately to prostrate himself and demand 
an investigation, promising speedily to send proofs 
of the viceroy’s villainy to Pekin. 

“ The wickedness of this viceroy must be great, O 
my sovereign,” said Woo, when he had concluded. 

“Truly the great father of the empire will not 
believe the miserable charge of a wretched pirate 
against one of his highest officers,” said Li-Kong 
savagely ; but making an angry motion to the prince 


THE SON OF HEAVEN. 187 

for silence, the Emperor said, “ What says the 
priest ?” 

“Truth, O great sovereign, is deeply emeshed in 
falsehood, that time alone can unravel ; yet, had that 
letter reached thy servant’s hands, his imperial mas- 
ter would have been saved an act of injustice ; of, 
not receiving the great merchant’s warning, the cruel 
viceroy succeeded, the storm of persecution burst 
over Hang-tcheou-fou, the churches of Christ were 
destroyed, and their priests loaded with chains 
whipped, tortured upon the rack, and otherwise de- 
graded, it being only by the providence of the 
Almighty that thy servant was enabled to escape and 
reach Pekin in safety — where, alas ! the persecution 
followed, and burst out with redoubled fury; thy 
servant, the head of his Church, being the first to feel 
and glory that he was the first to suffer for the cause 
of Christ.” 

“Can these words be true, O Woo? Has such 
villainy taken place in the land ?” said the Emperor. 

“ Such things, O great prince, have been done in 
thy holy name by roguish ministers, who {may I he 
•pardoned for my boldness) have taken advantage of 
the luxurious retirement of their Emperor to serve 
their own vile ends,” replied Woo. 

“Then be it the care of the upright censor to see that 
these miserable mandarins, who have so traitorously 
brought their Emperor’s name into contempt and ha- 
tred, be exterminated with their whole families,” said 
Wey-t-song, who was as impulsive for good as for bad. 

“ Surely my great father may be upon the brink of 


1S8 


TkE WAR TIGER. 


great injustice; he may be sacrificing the lives of 
many devoted servants. It would be but justice that 
accusers and accused should be confined till the mat- 
ter is sifted, and the truth discovered,” said the 
young prince. 

“The prince, our heir, has wisdom beyond his 
years ; his words are good, and shall be followed,” 
said the Emperor. At which there was an indecorous 
murmur of satisfaction, which was, however, instantly 
suppressed by the Emperor making the signal with 
his sleeves, that the audience was at an end. 


NICHOLAS OBTAINS A TITLE. 


189 


CHAPTER XXIV. 

NICHOLAS UNVEILS A REBEL CHIEF, AND OBTAINS A 
TITLE. 

When Nicholas arose the following morning, his 
first care was for the safety of Chow, whom he dis- 
covered to be still in the custody of the criminal 
tribunal, where by the laws, he would be kept till the 
will of the chief colao became known. Feeling, how- 
ever, satisfied that the boy would meet with no harm, 
now that he himself was in such high favor, he pre- 
pared for the promised private audience ; and scarcely 
had he donned the state habiliments, which had been 
supplied to him by the chamberlain, than he received 
the imperial summons, and having been conducted 
through a series of large courts, he was shown into 
the innermost apartment of the palace, where in deep 
thought over a letter, sat the Emperor ; upon the left 
(tl\e place of honor) stood the young prince ; upon his 
right, the aged Woo. 

Having complied with the court etiquette by run- 
ning quickly up the apartment, throwing himself 
on his knees, and performing the kow-tow, the 
Emperor commanded him to arise, and, placing his 
hand upon the letter, said, “ The noble youth, then, is 
the son of the daring writer of these terrible charao* 


190 


THE WAR TIGER. 


lers, which declare most boldly that the noblest of 
our generals and relations is a traitor and rebel.” 

“ The life of thy servant, O great prince, is at the 
will of his sovereign if those characters are not as 
truthful as the sacred books themselves,” replied 
Nicholas. 

“We dare not doubt them, youth, if these othei 
characters are not forged by some villain,” said the 
Emperor, placing a letter in the hands of Woo ; add- 
ing, “Let the venerable Woo, who knoweth all 
things, declare the pencil that portrayed them.” 

Falling upon his knees and taking the letter, the 
aged man said, “ Truly, O prince, these characters 
are from the hand of the General Li-Kong, whose 
treason is indeed stupendous, for he offers the su- 
preme copimand of the four seas, and the sovereignty 
of the barbarous island of Formosa, to the merchant 
pirate, providing that sea chief will, with his multitu- 
dinous ships and great wealth, aid him (may the 
sound of the words not deprive me of reason) in sub- 
verting the dynasty of his holy Emperor. The crime, 
O my sovereign, is too huge to be conceived, and its 
author should be hewn into ten thousand pieces. Yet 
the eyes, nay, the very reason of thy aged servant, 
may be failing him, therefore it behoves us to have 
greater proof that these characters are not forged ; 
for, though great is the cunning of villainy, surely so 
great a crime cannot exist beneath heaven.” 

“ The words of the aged noble are magnanimous, 
for surely the Prince Li-Kong is the enemy of him and 
his ; yet, though magnanimity is taught by the sacred 


NICHOLAS OBTAINS A TITLE. 


191 


Docks, t must not endanger the life of our great sov- 
ereign V/d father,” said the Prince Yong-Li ; adding 
“ Surely Li-Kong is famous for his vileness ; his 
character is known to us all, yet if greater proof be 
Avanting, let it be sought from the hps of this noble 
youth, Avhose life will be the penalty of so false an 
accusation.” 

t 

“ It Avould ill become so mean a person to traduce 
so great a general as the Prince Li-Kong, yet the 
safety of his sovereign must unseal his lips. Know, 
then, dread Emperor, that the General Li-Kong is at 
this very moment plotting thy ruin,” said Kicholas, 
w^ho then gave in detail the conversation he had heard 
at the palace of retirement, Avhich the Emperor had 
no sooner heard than he said hastily, “ Convey our 
command, O noble Woo, to the general thy son, to 
search for this traitor, and bring him in chains be- 
fore us.” 

“ Thy servant is unfortunate, for this is not possible, 
my sovereign. The brave Woo-san-Kwei, knowing 
his duty too well to remain in idleness at Pekin, while 
the Tartar-barbarians Avere , harassing his army like 
hungry Avolves, — truly the body Avms of little use 
Avithout the head, — departed for his command after 
the council yesterday,” replied Woo. 

“ How !” said the Emperor passionately; dared the 
general take his departure without an audience of 
leave,” 

“ Let not thy Avrath, O great sovereign fall upon 
the head of thy faithful servant, Avho presumed so 
far because his Emperor has, of late, foregone the 


192 


THE WAR TIGER. 


salutary ceremonies laid down by bis ancestors,” said 
the aged minister. 

Angry at this rebuke yet feeling its truthfulness, 
the weak prince despairingly threw himself back- 
ward in his chair, when the young prince said, 
“ Surely the throne should be defended by its heir. 
Thy son, O my Emperor and parent, will depart with 
the guards of the palace and bring this arch-traitor to 
his father’s feet and not receiving a denial, the 
prince respectfully took his leave, when, having re- 
covered his equanimity, the Emperor again took up 
Chin-Chi-Loong’s letter. 

“Truly, boy,” said his majesty, “this daring 
pirate, thy father, knows more than the Emperor or 
his ministers. How know we that he is not as great 
a traitor as the prince he denounces, for surely by 
commerce alone he could not have obtained this 
wealth of ships, men, and money, which, like a king, 
he so insolently offers to his sovereign and master ?’ 

“ Truly, O great Emperor, if my illustrious parent 
were a traitor, he would not have placed the life of 
his only son, thy mean servant, in so great a danger,” 
said Nicholas. 

“ The words of the youth, O prince, are as true 
as his deeds are brave,” said Woo; adding, “Let 
then thy slave pray that the sunshine of the Emperor’s 
favor may fall upon his race ; for, fearing that the in- 
tentions of this great merchant were treasonous, I 
have long caused his actions to be watched and his 
ships to be harassed by the sea mandarins ; but indeed 
with little use, for the noble Chin-Chi-Loong overcame 


NICHOLAS OBTAINS A TITLE. 


193 


them all, to the disgrace of the board of arms of thy 
empire. 

“ How ! did the slave pirate dare to overcome our 
sea tigers ? said the Emperor in a rage. 

“ He has presumed, O prince to chastise traitors 
who wielded thy royal commission but for their own 
purposes, which, if a crime, he now offers to amend 
by sending his only son to beg that he may re- 
ceive an order, signed by the vermilion pencil, to 
command that great fleet in his sovereign’s name 
alone. The powerful pirate, for whose head the 
Emperor’s ministers have offered great rewards, now 
places himself and his fortune at the disposal of the 
Son of Heaven,” said Nicholas. 

So great an offer having restored the Emperor to 
a better humor, he said, “ It is a presumptuous re- 
quest, yet loyal, if this bold man can give us a guar 
antee that he intends not playing us false.” 

“ That guarantee is the life of thy servant, his only 
son, O my prince,” replied Nicholas. 

“ These words are good and loyal, O my Emperor ; 
for surely if this bold merchant hath sought wealth 
and power for his descendants, lo ! he places his heir 
in thy hands,” said Woo. 

“The words of the aged Woo are wise and far- 
seeing. We grant this bold man’s petition, and 
should he help us to root out from the land this grow- 
ing rebellion we will secure to him the island promised 
by the villain Li-Kong. As for thyself, brave youth, 
to whom we are so greatly indebted, we grant thee 
the title of Princess-defending Tiger of War, and 
13 


194 : 


THE WAK TIGER. 


appoint thee to a command in the guards of the 
palace ; and, moreover, will keep thee in our favor, 
of which this shall he a token,” said the Emperor, 
taking from his girdle an embroidered purse, and 
handing it to Nicholas, who fell reverently upon his 
knees and held his hands above his head to receive 
the present. 

At that moment the Prince Yong-Li entered, 
threw himself at the foot of the throne, and said, 
“ Thy son, O my sovereign, is deserving of punish- 
ment, for the traitor has escaped.” 

“ Escaped !” repeated the Emperor, bitterly. 

“ Truly so, my father ; no sooner did the council 
of yesterday disperse, than, fearing the discovery of 
his guilt, he assembled his officers and guards and 
quitted tlie city.” 

“Let the fleetest of our horsemen follow ‘imme- 
diately,” added the Emperor. 

“ It would be in vain, my father, for ere they can 
overtake him the traitor will be in the midst of his 
own troops and province,” replied the prince. 

“ It would be wise to have the gates closely 
guarded and the defences of the city examined,” said 
Woo. 

“ The villain dares not carry his treason so far as 
to invade our capital,” replied Wey-t-song. 

“ Let not the generous nature of my prince carry 
him too far, for by insidious arts and treacherous gifts 
this Li-Kong has gained the hearts of the people 
of the provinces, and is vile enough to attempt the 
greatest of crimes,” said the minister.” 


NICHOLAS OBTAINS A TITLE. 


195 


“ By the tombs of our ancestors, the venerable 
noble is wise, and we should be prepared for the 
vilest of crimes. Let the barbarian-subduing Gene- 
ral Woo-san-Kwei and his army be recalled from 
Leao-Tung.” 

“ And so exchange a small traitor for the Tartar 
king, who, though a barbarian, is brave and power- 
ful ; rather let my royal father call around him in 
council the doctors of war and the ablest of his gene- 
rals, who from the military books will doubtless find 
sure means of defending the city,” said the prince ; 
adding ; “ Then, O my sovereign parent, let the army 
be assembled, and permit thy son and this noble 
youth to meet the rebel on his way. Let this be so, 
my Emperor, and thy son will bring the traitor’s head 
to thy feet, or be himself brought there upon his 
own shield.” 

“Thy heart is brave, but thy years too few, O my 
son, for so great a trust,” replied the Emperor. 

“At my years the illustrious Tait-Sou, the founder 
of our race, planted the first seeds of his glory in the 
field,’ said the young prince, warmly. 

“ The royal prince, thy chosen heir, is both wise 
and brave, my sovereign, for his name and rank will 
be a banner, around which the loyal will flock as 
plentifully as locusts, while his youth and bravery 
will shame the rebels into submission,” said the censor. 

“The counsel of the venerable Woo is bold,” 
said the Emperor ; adding, “ After the council of war 
my son shall seek to emulate the bravery of his an- 
cestors.” 


196 


THE WAR TIGER. 


“The tongue of thy son is too feeble to speak his 
thanks, my sovereign,” exclaimed the impetuous 
prince, falling upon his knees. 


NICHOLAS AND THE PRINCE. 


107 


CHAPTER XXV. 

NICHOLAS AND THE PRINCE HAVE AN ADVENTURE 
AND SAVE THE LIFE OF CHOW. 

The morning after the audience Nicholas wrote to 
his father a detailed account of his adventures, and the 
disgrace and danger of the great Christian father, 
who, he assured him, would be destroyed, if proofs of 
his innocence were not speedily produced. When he 
had placed the letter in the hands of the flying-horse, 
or court messenger, who was about to start with the 
imperial cang-ho, he went in search of Chow, and, to 
his surprise, found the boy had been released under 
an order signed by Li-Kong, immediately before his 
abrupt departure. This, however, but puzzled him the 
more, for surely had the boy been released he would 
have sought out his master and friend. Then he be- 
gan to fear that Chow had been decoyed away by 
some of the many designing traitors he more than sus* 
pected to be hovering about the palace, for the pur- 
pose of finding from the servant the history of the 
master. He sat for some time pondering what to do, 
and at length resolved upon searching through the 
whole city. With this determination he arose to de- 
part, when he heard the trampling of footsteps, and the 
chief officer of the imperial prince entered the apart- 


198 


THE WAR TIGER. 


ment, followed by four men, carrying a litter, which 
they placed upon the ground. 

“ The son of the great Emperor (may he live ten 
thousand years) sends the noble youth a royal robe, 
and arms, in token of his amity and brotherhood,” 
said the officer, bowing to the ground. 

At the name of the prince, Nicholas performed the 
ko-tow, and ordered an incense table to be brought, 
that he might receive the royal message with befitting 
respect. The officer, however, added, “ Further, O 
noble stranger, that all men may know his gratitude 
for the safety of his beloved sister, the great prince 
commands that the ceremony of the incense may be 
dispensed with, for the son of the Son of Heaven 
holds the noble youth as his brother in love as well 
as arms. Moreover, that he may prove his sincerity, 
the prince will wave his illustrious rank and visit the 
preserver of the princess his sister.” So saying the 
eunuch withdrew. 

The present consisted of a complete military equip- 
ment befitting his new rank : — the war cap or helmet, 
a robe, embossed with plates of gold, both for orna- 
ment and protection, boots of rich costly leather, 
sword, shield, bow, and quiver of arrows, each of 
which bore the imperial crest, the five-clawed dragon. 
Delighted more with the gift than its costliness, 
Nicholas did not stay to examine the present, for fear 
the prince might speedily arrive ; and he was right, 
for he had scarcely finished attiring himself in his new 
uniform before Yong-Li, unannounced, entered the 
room. 


NICHOLAS AND THE PEINCE. 


199 


In an instant Nicholas threw himself at his feet, and 
began to pour forth his gratitude, but, taking his 
hand, the prince said, “ Arise, these are not times for 
ceremonies between brothers, banded together in so 
holy a cause ; the sacred books themselves intended 
them alone for times of peace and luxury.” 

“ May those times soon return, O my prince,” said 
Nicholas. 

“ May my brother’s wish be realised ; but to obtain 
peace we must earn it by the sword,” replied the 
prince ; adding, gloomily, “ I come from the board 
of generals and doctors of war.” 

“Upon what has their wisdom determined, O 
prince ?” 

“Nothing — they are dogs, traitors all; each gene- 
ral of a section declared the walls to be impassable 
by an enemy, and that the troops were numerous, 
well exercised, and prepared for a sudden attack,” 
said the prince. 

“These are the words of indolent cowards or 
designing traitors, but your royal father the Em- 
peror ” 

“ Was present,” said the prince ; but, alas ! so 
loves his ease and the. counsel of his bonzes, that he 
gave a ready ear to their reports, nay, promoted 
them all one step for their vigilance.” 

“ Surely my prince lifted his voice in council ?” 
said Nicholas. 

“ My brother, yes ; biit it was as the sound of a 
zephyr amidst the roarings of a hurricane ; that of a 
youth among the aged and did but cause bis 


200 


THE WAR TIGER. 


jiajesty to forbid my seeking the rebel Li-Kong in 
the field.” 

“Then, my prince, our fiirther-seeing eye balls 
must be used for the benefit of the blind,” said 
Nicholas. 

“ Thus it is that I seek thy companionship in a 
journey round the walls, when, if I find them as I 
expect, woe be to the indolent cowards who dare de- 
ceive their Emperor, said the prince. 

Nicholas then followed them to the courtyard, 
where they found awaiting them a squadron of the 
body guard with two richly caparisoned horses, one 
of which Yong-Li presented to Nicholas, and they 
proceeded upon their journey amidst the lavish ador- 
ations of thousands, who bowed to the earth as they 
rode through the streets. 

“ If my prince would truly see the manner in which 
the officers and soldiers perform their duties, would 
it not be wise for him to proceed in a chair and with 
the attendants only of a mandarin of the third order?” 
said Nicholas. 

“ Thy words are good,” replied the prince, order- 
ing the soldiers to stop at the house of a mandarin, 
who, having formerly been his military tutor, he knew 
would keep his rank concealed. Shortly afterward 
they were met by some soldiers who were conveying 
several malefactors to the place of execution. Seeing 
the prince, the soldiers and prisoners knelt with their 
faces to the ground till he had passed. No sooner, 
however, had he passed the unhappy men than the 
son of the Emperor, with tears in his eyes, said, 


NICHOLAS AND THE PRINCE. 


201 


“ How unhappy is the lot of a prince, to witness such 
a sight as that !” 

“ Surely, my prince, the rogues deserve their pun- 
ishment, the law awards, and the safety of the state 
demands it,” said Nicholas. 

“Truly, I weep not, my brother, at the punish- 
ment of these men, for without rewards and punish- 
ments the good are not encouraged, and the wicked 
are not restrained ; moreover, chastisement is as ne- 
cessary to the government of a kingdom, as bread is 
for the sustenance of the people. But I weep be- 
cause my time is not so happy as that of old when 
the virtues of the prince served as a bridle to the peo- 
ple, and his example was sufficient to restrain the 
vices of his subjects without other chastisement.” 

The warlike nature and education of Nicholas not 
permitting him to sympathize with the kind-hearted 
Yong-Li, he maintained a respectful silence, not how- 
ever, without a fear for the fate of a prince whose 
amiable nature was so unfitted for such turbulent 
times. When they reached the house of the manda- 
rin, the prince dismissed his guard, and, having bor- 
rowed from that officer his robe, cap, and chair of 
state, and a garment of plain green silk for Nicholas, 
the two youths entered the chair and proceeded on 
their journey with the usual attendants, one of whom 
went before, as a kind of avant-garde^ and with a 
whip to beat them a passage through the crowded 
streets. At the first guard-house the prince stepped 
out of the sedan, made himself known to the sentries, 
and passed in ; when, instead of finding the troops 


202 


THE WAR TIGER. 


engaged in exercising, or in any of the many games 
permitted by the board of war, some were gambling, 
some goading (Crickets with their chopsticks till the 
insects killed each other, some were singing profane 
songs, and disporting in the most riotous and un- 
seemly manner, while many who had been drinking 
deeply, and still held the spirit cups in their hands 
were reeling about the pavement, but most remarka- 
ble of all, no officers except those of the most subor- 
dinate grade were to be seen. 

“ These, then, are the vile dogs to whom the de- 
fence of the Imperial City is entrusted. These are 
the rogues whom the traitor generals commended,” 
said the prince, indignantly ; adding, “ Truly the 
royal house is punished for its sins, for this looketh 
indeed like the decadence of a dynasty.” 

“ These are but the hands, O my prince for whose 
acts the heads must be made accountable,” said 
Nicholas. 

“Nevertheless the dogs shall be punished, my 
brother ; but let us return,” said the prince, going to 
the gate, where the sentry, recognizing the prince, 
fell at his feet. “ Rise, dog, and as thou Avouldst save 
thy miserable head, say who is the general of this sec- 
tion,” said Yong-Li. 

“The noble Leang, O Grandson of Heaven,” re- 
plied the trembling soldier. 

“ Cans’t thou be honest and silent as to my visit ?” 

“ Both, as thy slave values his miserable life,” re- 
plied the soldier. 

“ I will trust thee, man, and if I find you so, only 


NICHOLAS AND THE PEINCE. 


203 


till the rising of to-morrow’s sun, thou shalt be pro- 
moted,” said the prince; adding, “This rogue Leang 
must be degraded, and thou, O noble Nicholas, take 
his coratnand.” Thus they visited some half-dozen 
of the chief and most important points of the forti- 
fied walls with similar results. With the works 
themselves he was satisfied, as was also Nicholas, 
who, young as he was, had often examined the forti- 
fications of the southern province ; and, indeed, the 
whole line of coast between Siam and Japan. 

“Nought, my prince, but the treachery of the de- 
fenders, or the death-dealing cannon of the red-haired 
barbarians from the West, could effect an entrance 
into the city,” said he. 

“ Has my brave brother then seen in use those ter- 
rible instruments of war that can crumble the strong- 
est towers of stone to the dust, from beyond the 
reach of bow-shot ?” said the prince. 

“ Such has been thy servant’s fortune, O my 
prince ; it could not be otherwise, for they are used on 
board the war-ships of my noble father.” 

“ By the tombs of my ancestors, thou art a bold 
boy,” replied the prince; adding, with vehemence, 

“ As I hope to continue the circle of succession, I 
would forfeit ten years of life to be in possession of 
a few, that we might sweep these rebels and Tartars 
from the face of the earth.” 

At that moment there arose a great clamor of 
voices, and, looking out of the chair, the prince saw 
a great crowd assembled upon one of the canal 
bridges, when, having ordered the attendant with the 


204 


THE WAR TIGER. 


■whip to beat a passage through the people, they witr 
nessed the following extraordinary sight : — 

Upon a high platform, near the edge of the bridge, 
stood a large tub, the top of which was covered with 
some flimsy material, like silk or cotton, through which 
something, that in the distance bore a resemblance 
to a human head, bobbed up and down like a jack-in- 
the-box. Upon the platform, around the tub, stood 
six priests- 

How lowly must the dynasty of the great Tait-sou 
have fallen, that these miserable bonzes are permitted 
thus shamefully to extort money from the people,” 
said the prince. 

“ If thy servant’s eyeballs play him not false, O my 
prince, yonder priests are preparing to sacriflce a hu- 
man life to their -wretched gods,” said Nicholas. 

Not waiting to hear more, the prince leaped from 
the chair, and, followed by Nicholas forced a way 
through the crowd till they reached the platform. 

All, however, that could be seen of the \T.ctim was 
the forehead, nose, and eyes ; the latter rolled so con- 
vulsively and glared so terribly, that, notwithstand- 
ing the crowd, Nicholas would have attempted a res- 
cue, had not the prince caught hold of his arm, 
saying, “ Stay, my brother, it is the duty of a prince 
to see justice done ; then addressing the chief bonze, 
he said, “ What crime can this man have committed, 
O miserable priest, that he should be thus tortured 
without the presence of the officers of the tribunal of 
justice ?” 

“ Great has been his crime, 0 noble youth, and self 


NICHOLAS AND THE PRINCE. 


205 


sought his punishment, replied the bonze, taken 
aback by the bold tone of the prince ; adding, as he 
pointed to the head, which bobbed suddenly as he 
spoke, “ He admits my words.” 

“ Open thy lips to the purpose, priest, and as you 
value your wretched hfe, let us hear his crime,” re- 
plied the indignant prince. 

“ The youth must be a stranger to the capital, in- 
deed, if he has not heard the order of the Son of 
Heaven, which commands that the villain Christians, 
who have taken advantage of the great Emperor’s 
kindness to raise and nourish a rebellion throughout 
the land, should be destroyed.” 

“ Such an order has reached thy servant’s ears,” 
said the prince, bowing lowly at the name of his 
father. 

“ Know, then, that this wretch was long the slave 
and follower of one of these Christian dogs — see, he 
admits it, (and the head bobbed up again ;) but, for- 
tunately, the gods changing his heart in time, sent 
him to our pagoda repentantly declaring his villainy 
and demanding his punishment (here the head gave 
another bob of acquiescence) from the priests of Fo, 
who, consulting the gods, obtained permission for 
him to choose his own chastisement : his choice was 
to leap from this platform into the canal.” 

“ But the canal is deep, and the man will drown, 
priest,” said the prince, sternly. 

“ Surely the youth is strangely ignorant that such 
a feat is a happiness thousands would willingly seek. 
We have but given him the preference but for his 


206 


THE WAR TIGER. 


zeal and virtue. (Here the head again gave an ac- 
quiescent bob.) Again, at the bottom of the canal 
he will be met by charitable spirits, who will not only 
welcome him with honor, but conduct him to the 
yellow stream.” So saying, the bonzes commenced 
preparations for the final act of the tragedy. 

“The prince, however, unable any longer to re- 
strain his rage, drew his sword, exclaiming, “ Desist, 
thou murdering rogue ; release thy victim imme- 
diately.” 

This violence to their priests so aroused the anger 
of the pagan crowd, that they would probably have 
torn Yong-Lito pieces, but for Nicholas, who, beating 
them backward, cried, “Back, slaves! would you 
molest the son of your Emperor, the good prince 
Yong-Li?” and the terrified slaves instantly fell up- 
on their faces. The bonze, though no less dismayed 
at the presence of the prince, was quicker witted, 
and said, “ Surely the magnificent son of the Son of 
Heaven would not arrest the flight of a happy soul, 
impatient to be on its way to the yellow stream.” 

“Let the miserable wretch speak for himself,” said 
the prince. 

' “ He dares not so anger the gods, who would not 

only condemn him, but destroy the whole city in their 
wrath,” replied the bonze, giving a sly signal to his 
brethren to surround the tub, in the event of a rescue 
being attempted. 

“Nevertheless, the wretch shall be saved,” said the 
prince; adding, aloud, “Let the deluded rascal open 
his lips, or he shall be left to his fate. 




Chow in the handd of the IJonzc!^. 

Page 20T. 









NICHOLAS AND THE PKINCE. 


20V 


At this, the head gave another and stronger jerk 
upward, but without rising further through the silk, 
and the eyes rolled and glared more terribly than 
ever. At which the bonze said, “ Cannot the heav- 
enly eyes of the great prince see that the poor crea- 
ture is suffering from such violent language ? See, he 
is almost distracted and will assuredly expire with 
grief at so much profanity.” 

“ This is some foul trick, my prince,” said Nicho- 
las, who leaped upon the platform so quickly, that, 
striking one of the priests, he fell against four others, 
and all were sent flying into the midst of the crowd, 
who, in their turn, began to pummel them severely 
for falling so heavily upon their heads and shoulders. 

Once upon the platform, Nicholas lost no time in 
cutting asunder the silk covering of the tub, when, 
lo ! the victim shot up with the rapidity of a rocket, 
dragging with him, by the hair of his head, a small 
bonze, in whose hand was the dagger which he had 
been from time to time plunging into the victim’s 
calves in order to make him utter the responses. 

But what was the surprise of the prince when the 
hands of the intended victim were unbound and the 
gag removed from his mouth, to see him fall at the 
feet of Nicholas, clasp his legs, and exclaim, “My 
noble, noble, master, this is indeed a joyful meeting. 
Nought but the God of the Christians could have^ 
saved Chow’s life.” 

The wretched face, the bleeding legs of the pof*^ 
boy, so filled the heart of Nicholas with indignation 
and sorrow, that while tears fell down his cheeks, all 


208 


THE WAR TIGEK. 


he could say was, “ My poor, poor friend Chow, this 
is indeed a fortunate day.” 

“ Then the sacrifice was not thine own seeking, my 
poor fellow ?” said the prince. 

“My own seeking, O mighty son of Ming? Look 
at thy slave’s legs, which the rascals have punctured 
into lace- work. Surely, had Chow so-ught the yellow 
stream, he would have chosen to go in a perfect and 
decent manner.” Then the hoy would have fallen, 
but for Nicholas, who held him in his arms, when he 
said, “ I demand justice on the rogues, O great prince, 
for I am the servant of the noble Nicholas, thy friend, 
and was with him a prisoner in the Palace Royal, 
till the night of the audience, when a eunuch came 
to me and said the Emperor had signified his gracious 
wish that poor Chow Avas to be chopped into ten 
thousand pieces, but that a great lord taking compas- 
sion on me would save my life, and give me great 
promotion, if I would watch and note down the Avords 
and actions of my noble master.” 

“ Didst thou hear the name, surname, and title of 
the villain lord, O ChoAV ?” said the prince. 

“ Thy slave was not so fortunate, great prince.” 

“ What answer didst thou make, O Chow ?” said 
Nicholas. 

“ That they might not only cut thy servant into as 
many pieces as they chose, but never bury them in the 
tombs of his ancestors, before he would comply. 
Whereupon, they gave poor Chow over to these rascal 
bonzes, who intended to torture him with a dagger in 
that tub, till agony caused him to leap into the canal.” 


209 


NICHOLAS AND THE PEINCE. 

“Sad must have been thy sufferings, my poor 
Chow,” said the prince ; who then ordered his at- 
tendants to convey the boy to the palace, in order 
that the imperial doctors might attend him. Then 
sending for a body of yah-yu, he ordered them to take 
the bonze and his assistants to the great prison, 
to await a trial; after which they returned to the 
palace. 

“ Thanks be to Tien, my brother, we have saved 
thy friend from those vile bonzes,” said the prince. 

“Would O prince, that we could as easily save the 
servants of the true God of heaven from their vil- 
lainies,” replied Nicholas, thinking of the sufferings 
of the Christian fathers. 

14 


210 


THE WAR TIGER. 


CHAPTER XXVL 

NICHOLAS RECEIVES AN IMPORTANT COMMAND. 

On the day following the visit of the prince to the 
military stations, a change was made among the offi-* 
cers. Some were bambooed, some reprimanded, and 
others sent into confinement. The post of Leang, 
who held the command of five hundred men under the 
General Kin, being given to Nicholas, he took Chow 
with him as a kind of sub-officer, and as the wounds 
of the latter fortunately proved to be only in the flesh, 
he soon became well enough to caper with delight at 
the chance his new position might give him of meeting 
the slayer of his father. 

For some time Nicholas had little else to do but 
keep his men at their posts, and exercise them in the 
use of the matchlock, which, although the Chinese 
then knew so little about it, that the rebound of the 
stock did as much mischief to the owner as the barrel 
did to his enemies, he had long practised on board 
his father’s ships. Then, again, he would exercise 
them in sword, and bow and arrow practice, and the 
use of their shields. 

Such was his employment till intelligence arrived 
that the rebel Li-Kong was on his march to besiege 
Pekin with a large army, when, seeking an audience 


NICHOLAS IN COMMAND. 


211 


of the Emperor, he threw himself at the foot of the 
tlirone, and prayed to be sent with a party of flying 
horse to make observations, and drive the people of 
the neighboring towns and villages into the capital 
for protection. His zeal, however, was useless ; for, 
placing his whole faith in the bonzes and intriguing 
nobles around him, who laughed to scorn the idea of 
so improbable an event as the invasion of so great a 
capital by a mere rebel, Wey-t-song angrily commanded 
Nicholas to keep to his posts upon the walls, where 
he remained, till wearied with inaction he longed to 
return to his father’s fleet. Wait a little Nicholas, 
and there will be action enough. 

More than once during the reign of Wey-t-song 
had famine stalked through the land, but then he had 
struggled to stem the torrent by opening his purse 
and granaries. Now, however, that nature withheld 
her ordinary supplies, a rebel army crowded the ap- 
proaches to the capital, so that provision could not be 
brought in, and the dearth of food grew so great, that 
a pound of rice could not be purchased for less than its 
weight in silver, and the flesh of horses, rats, dogs, 
cats, and mice had become so rare, that even rotten 
skins were bought for human food. The Emperor 
wickedly kept close within the luxurious apartments 
of his inner palace, caring but little for the starving 
people, so that he and the great mandarins could 
revel in their luxurious ease and pleasures. 

Now, as indolence will spread as fast as nettles, 
the officers of the army, instead of attending to their 
duties, spend the greater part of their night-watches 


212 


TKE WAR TIGER. 


in gambling and drinking so hard, that had the enemy 
come upon them suddenly they must have surren 
dered. Yet the imperial troops were so numerous 
and the defences so strong, that with anything like a 
good show of -fighting the rebels could have been 
beaten back, if not indeed entirely destroyed. As, 
however, these officers must have been fully aware 
of all this, it is only reasonable to suppose they were 
playing another little game of their own, that we 
shall soon see. 

Thus weeks pased away, without more than mere 
rumors of the movements of the rebel Li-Kong, who, 
it was said, was fast approaching the capital, and 
sacking towns or destroying the people on his march. 
There one day came a number of men to the eastern 
gate, reporting themselves to be fugitives, who had 
been driven to seek protection in the capital from Li, 
who was on his march by the eastern suburbs ; and 
as also they brought the joyful intelligence that a 
vast quantity of rice was on the road from the south- 
ern provinces, under the charge of a body of mer- 
chants, who had managed to evade the rebels by tak- 
ing a different route, they were received with open 
arms and treated handsomely. 

Then, as the General Kin feared that the starving 
people would set upon the wagons as they entered 
the city, he came out on the day of their arrival with 
a large body of soldiers to escort the food to the 
storehouse, where it could be fairly distributed. 
But so eager was the general to secure the grain 
from a sudden rush of the hungry people, that he 


NICHOLAS IN COMMAND. 


213 


encompassed the procession with his troops so per- 
fectly, that neither wagons nor the fugitive trades- 
men who accompanied them could be seen by the 
crowd. Moreover Kin kept close the wagons till 
they were safe within the fore-court of the store- 
houses. After perforiping his duty, the general as- 
tonished Nicholas by carrying his indefatigability so 
far as to personally inspect the walls, post the sen- 
tries, and examine the flints of their matchlocks, all 
of which was very puzzling, for not only was there 
no enemy to be seen, but the deserters and fugitives 
reported that the attack, if made at all, would be up- 
on the opposite walls of the city, whither, in fact, 
Kin had sent already a great part of the soldiers who 
had hitherto been posted upon that side. 


214 


THE WAR TIGER. 


CHAPTER XXYII. 

THE REBELS ATTACK PEKIN. TREACHERY OF A 

GENERAL, AND THE FIGHT. 

It was the middle of the third watch ; Nicholas 
was dreaming of the rebel Li-Kong, the Emperor, 
the princess, the soldiers, and his father’s fleet. A 
sudden grip upon his arm made him set bolt upright 
upon his sleeping mat, and there stood Chow, in a 
state of great excitement, holding in his arms his 
master’s habiliments and accoutrements, as if the 
place had been on fire, or he had suddenly turned 
thief, and was about commencing business upon his 
master’s clothes. 

“ Awake, O my master, we are caught like rats in 
a trap ; the rebels are upon us !” 

“ What words are these, Chow ?” said Nicholas, 
leaping off the mat, taking the clothes and attiring 
himself. 

“ The General Kin means harm ; let us escape, my 
master and Chow pointed to the open window. 

“ Thou art a coward, Chow, ; draw thy sword, and 
follow,” said Nicholas, rushing with his own weapon 
in his hand to the walls, where, to his dismay, he 
found the sentries helplessly intoxicated and lying in 
all directions ; but worse, there, against the walls, 


THE KEBELS ATTACK PEKIN. 


215 


leaned a ladder, by which means a body of troops 
were about to ascend. 

“Softly, Chow,” said ISTicholas; and like cats they 
crept toward the ladder upon their knees. Another 
minute, and a soldier stood upon the uppermost round 
with a lighted torch in his hand. 

“ See, the rat makes a signal that all is right,” said 
Nicholas, and in another instant a blow from his fist 
sent the torch-bearer spinning through the air over 
the heads of his fellows ; then with a yell of rage the 
man’s next comrade jumped upon the parapet, and 
being received with a violent blow in the stomach 
from Chow’s fist, followed his companion in arms. 
Another made the same attempt, but picking up the 
torch which had fallen upon the ramparts, Chow 
dashed the burning brand in his face, when with a 
wild howl of pain, the soldier fell backward, sweeping 
the scaling party off the ladder as clean as if he had 
been a thirty-two pound cannon ball. Then, making 
the most of their advantage, the boys caught hold of 
the ladder and threw it over upon the discomfited 
rebels, who lay sprawling at the foot of the walls. 

Then, holding the torch above his head, as a signal 
for assistance, Nicholas indeed saw that treachery 
was in high quarters, for the whole line of walls ap- 
peared to be deserted. As for Chow, he had no 
sooner succeeded in arousing the men from their stu- 
por, and placed some at the great guns, and others 
along the walls, so that another scaling party would 
come within range of their matchlocks, than, perceiv- 
ing a body of the enemy moving to the front, he 


216 


THE WAR TIGER. 


pointed one of the cannons and applied the torch to 
the touch-hole; a flash — a roar followed; but the 
only eflect it had upon the rebels was to cause them 
to send forth loud shouts of exultation. Well they 
might exult, for the guns were harmless. 

“ The villain Kin has had the balls withdrawn,’- 
exclaimed Chow. 

“ Our matchlocks are useless, they have been rob- 
bed of their flints,” said the soldiers, who had at- 
tempted to fire them at the same time as Chow had 
fired tho cannon. 

“Thun back, and brain the dogs with them as they 
mount the walls,” said Nicholas, as the enemy was 
about attempting another escalade ; adding, “ Haste 
thee, O Chow, to the Prince Yong-Li, and pray of 
him to send assistance to his brother, who dares not 
quit his post with life ;” when, as without a word 
Chow disappeared from the rampart, Nicholas 
snatched up a matchlock, and so placed himself and 
men beneath the breastwork that the arrows might 
pass over their heads, and many were the scalers who 
reached the uppermost round of the ladder to be 
dashed headlong among their comrades by the brave 
youth and his little band ; and so they would have 
held out for some time, but for a shower of bullets 
from the matchlocks of a body of soldiers who made 
their appearance upon the walls, headed by the Gene- 
ral Kin himself. 

“Seize the dog!” said the traitor, pointing to 
Nicholas. 

“ Thou great rogue,” — ^before, however, Nicholas 


THE KEBELS ATTACK PEKIN. 

could say more he was gagged, his arms bound witii 
cords, and taken by the soldiers to his own room, 
amid the shoutings of the rebels, who now seemed to 
be entering the city from all sides. 

But why had they not killed him at once ? for what 
reason had they brought him there ? 

He was not left long in suspense, for no sooner had 
Kin secured the entrance of his brother rebels into 
the city than he entered the room, and first examin- 
ing the cords that bound the boy’s arms, to see that 
there was no possibility of his getting free, he ordered 
the soldiers from the room, and said, merrily, “ The 
young war tiger is brave, but he is no match for the 
fire-eater Kin.” 

“ Let the dog without a heart unbind the arms of 
Ins prisoner, and he shall discover,” was the fierce 
reply. 

“ What shall thy servant discover, O brave youth ?” 

“His villain body hurled out of the window.” 

“ Knows not the youth that I can slay him as if he 
were a venomous rat ?” 

“ Do this, and I will thank thee for not letting me 
outlive such hateful treason, thou villain.” 

“ But the youth is young, brave, and should live in 
honor and high promotion.” 

“ He would be more honored in dying for his Em- 
peror.” 

“ That Emperor is the chosen of Tien, the great 
Li-Kong, who would have the young war tiger live 
to serve him.” 

“ These are snake’s words, the rogue Li-Kong is 


218 


THE WAR TIGER. 


as false as his coward slave Kin, who fears to trust 
himself with an unbound youth.” 

“ Thou rat, thou pirate, I will slay thee,” said the 
enraged general, drawing his sword. 

“Do this, and my vision will be for ever shut out 
from so much villainy,” was the calm reply. 

“ Now let the young war tiger open his ears, and 
if he is reasonable he shall be free,” said the general, 
getting the better of his rage. 

“ Then unbind his arms, thou dog.” 

“ Truly, if thou wilt promise to serve the great 
Emperor Li-Kong.” 

“ Even if so much treason existed in my heart, how 
'Could so mean a person serve so great a prince?” 

“ Is he not the son of the great merchant of the 
«outh, who rules the four seas ?” 

If the dull rogue hath discovered his prisoner’s 
birth, how is this that he dares to think that when free 
he would let so great a traitor live, after such an exe- 
crable proposition ?” 

Greatly perplexed at this rebuff. Kin could make 
no leply. Suddenly, the booming of cannon, the roar 
of millions of voices, and the clash of arms, sounded 
through the night air, and he said, “ Hear you that 
cannon, boy? It is the terrible mouthpiece of the 
fugitive tradespeople, who accompanied the rice 
wagons.” 

“ O thou miserable rogue,” exclaimed Nicholas, as 
it now flashed across his mind that the rice wagons 
and the fugitive tradespeople had been the ruse by 
which Li-Kong had obtained an entrance into the 


THE EEBELS ATTACK PEKHST. 


219 


city for his troops. “ O that he was free, for there 
were guards enough yet to save the imperial family.” 

“ It is a maxim, that it is no use repining for the 
past, O youth. By his tyranny and oppression Wey-t- 
song has forfeited the throne to the heaven-selected 
Li-Kong, whose troops now fill the streets, and who 
will confer upon the young war tiger high rank, and 
upon his parent, the great sea chief, a kingdom, 
if he will submissively rule the seas as a tributary. 
See the success of the great Li,” he added, as the 
room, nay, the whole sky became illuminated, “ the 
palace is in flames — ^let the young war tiger give his 
answer.” 

“ If it is adverse ?” asked Nicholas. 

“The head of the son will be sent to the father.” 

Then bitter were the feelings of Nicholas — for 
himself? no ! for he felt it his duty to die ; but for 
his father, for the princess — still there was a chance 
of escape. Should he comply? surely a promise to 
traitors would not be valid. He considered for a 
moment — it was but for a moment — and even the 
bold sea-boy had not courage enough to — tell a lie. 

Perceiving his hesitation, the countenance of Kin 
brightened. “The noble youth is reasonable; he 
consents,” said he. 

“ No, thou false rogue.” 

“ Then he dies a miserable death,” said the enraged 
Kin, calling to his guard. There was no reply, but 
a scuffle in the passage, and the sound of angry voices, 
when, pale with fear, the general opened the door, 
and the next minute was — in the arms of Chow, who 


220 


THE WAR TIGER. 


held him till the soldiers of the prince, who acompa- 
iiied him, had bound the traitor as tightly as a 
mummy. 

“ It is our turn now, thou vile rogue,” said Chow, 
as he cut the cords that bound his master. 

“This is well accomplished my brave Chow; but 
now let us leave the traitor and haste to the palace,” 
Nicholas. 

“ It is hopeless, O my master, for the outer palace 
IS inflames, and surrounded by the rebels.” 

“ Is it not a maxim that no effort is hopeless to the 
Srave ?” 


ATTACK ON THE PALACE. 


221 


CHAPTER XXVm. 

ATTACK ON THE PALACE. — SUICIDE OF THE EMPEROR, 
THE PRINCESS WOUNDED. 

Having dismissed the soldiers, the two boys 
mingled with the vast crowd that was surging to- 
ward the palace with deafening cheers for Li-Kong, 
who, by the treachery of the general, aided by those 
of his own troops who for weeks past had been pass- 
ing into the city under the pretence of being fugitive 
tradespeople, had now reached the very walls of the 
outer palace without opposition. Indeed, so great were 
the numbers of the rebel troops and the mass of peo- 
ple who joined on their way, that when they came in 
sight of the palace walls the imperial soldiers fled m 
dismay, and so well had the rebel chief, and his brother 
traitors near the person of the Emperor, organized 
the conspiracy, that it was not until the outer palace 
was in flames that Wey-t-song became aware that Li- 
Kong had even entered Pekin. Then, however, like 
another Sardanapalus, his energies became aroused, 
and he collected together some few hundreds of his 
body guard, and determined to sell his life as dearly 
as possible, and till morning he held out ; for so well 
did his guards handle the bows, and so clumsily did 
the rebels use their matchlocks, that it was early 


222 


THE WAR TIGER. 


morning before the latter could effect an entrance to 
the inner palace. 

When, however, the broad light of morning came* 
what with the force of numbers, and their being ena- 
bled to use their matchlocks to greater advantage, 
they soon forced the gates and rushed into the great 
court en masse. Being among the first to enter, 
Nicholas and Chow beheld the Emperor, in the uni- 
form of one of his own officers, exhorting^is troops 
to die with him rather than to succumb to rebels. 
After a short fight, however, the coward guards threw 
down their arms, and shouted, “Long life to the 
heaven-bestowed Emperor Li-Kong.” Indignant at 
their cowardice, Nicholas would have rushed among 
them, but for Chow, who whispered the danger of the 
princess. 

For a minute the fraternization of the guards ap 
peased the rebels — it was only for a minute — then 
they shouted for the head of the vile Wey-t- 
song, and one of the guards pointing to the inner pal- 
ace, they ran in that direction like a herd of hungry 
wolves, killing all, men, women, or children, whom 
they met in thei'* way ; then they came to the ladies’ 
palace, and with hideous shouts of exultation, set it 
on fire ; and the poor women, at least those who were 
not destroyed by the flames, ran from all quarters, 
but, alas ! only to fall by the swords of the flends, or, 
if escaping the latter, to perform, to them, the sacred 
duty of throwing themselves headlong into the canals, 
that they might not survive the downfall of their im- 
perial master. 


ATTACK ON THE PALACE. 


223 


More infuriated than the rebels, and with a wild 
hope of saving the Emperor and the princess, ISTicho- 
las ran through the burning palace, as if seeking 
death from the falling timbers; but, alas no clue 
could be found to those he sought. At length he 
thought of the imperial gardens, a place that the 
rebels, in their anxiety to plunder the palace, had 
forgotten. 

“ So, while Chow went in an opposite direction, he 
took the path leading to the mulberry grove, and 
there, upon a mound, he discovered the object of his 
search — ^both Emperor and princess; but, to his 
horror, the first dead, and hanging by his own girdle 
from the bough of a prune-tree, and the princess 
senseless, expiring from a deep wound in her 
side, from which the blood was flowing copiously. 
Shocked so that the blood in his veins seemed con- 
gealed, Nicholas cut down the dead Emperor with 
his sword, then stanched the wound of the princess 
with his silk girdle, ran to the lake, filled his cap with 
water, and sprinkled it in her face, when, joy! the 
pale face resumed the hue of life — still she was insen- 
sible, and he miserable, for he knew not what other 
means to adopt for her restoration. Then came the 
sound of approaching footsteps — it might be a rebel, 
and he clutched his sword, determined to die before 
the royal lady should be taken from him — but no, it 
was Chow, who, having lost himself for some time in 
the mazes of the garden, had reached the spot by 
mere accident ; and no sooner did the faithful fellow 
perceive the tragic scene, than he fell upon his knees 
and wept. 


% 


224 : THE TVAE TIGER. 

“ Truly the villains will speedily be here, and we 
shall be lost if we can not discover some hiding-place,” 
said Nicholas. 

“ The gods must intend our escape from this den 
of thieves, for I have just crept out of yonder cav- 
ern,” said Chow, pointing to a thick bush at some 
short distance from where they were standing. 

Then, without more words, they bore the senseless 
girl to the spot indicated by Chow, and pushing aside 
the brushwood, entered a cavern lighted from the top 
by a small grating, and laid her upon the floor. The 
stanching of the blood, the cold water, and the 
movement, revived her, when she exclaimed, “ This 
terrible dream — where am I? who art thou, thou 
terrible man ?” 

“ Fear not beautiful daughter of the Ming, for thou 
art in the hands of thy own servants, who have saved 
thee ” 

“ Saved me !” she said, with a vacant gaze at Nich- 
olas ; then, as if remembering some terrible occur- 
rence, added, “ From my royal father, who plunged 
his dagger in my side, that his daughter might escape 
the villain Li-Kong, but the Emperor, my parent, 
O noble youth?” 

“ Alas ! unfortunate princess ” 

“ Enough — enough — I remember all — the holy 
Emperor has saved himself the disgrace of falling in- 
to the power of the traitor. But why then,” she 
added, bitterly, “ has the worthless life of a daughter 
of his own blood been saved ?” 

“To be the most valued jewel in the throne of her 
brother the. Emperor Yong-Li,” said Nicholas. 




ATTACK ON THE PALACE. 225 

“ By restoring my worthless life thou hast brought 
shame disgrace upon the daughter of thy Emper- 
or, for hath it not ever been the custom of the daugh- 
ters of the Son of Heaven to kill themselves upon the 
downfall of their sovereign ?” 

“The princess is of the religion of the Lord of 
Heaven, who alone giveth and taketh life,”' replied 
Nicholas. 

“Thou art right, noble youth, and the descendant 
of Tait-sou will bear her misfortunes more as becomes 
a Christian than a daughter of China,” said the prin- 
cess; adding, sorrowTully, “but the remains of my 
beloved parent ” 

“ Shall be saved from the profane hands of rebels 
if the princess Avill remain within this cavern,” replied 
Nicholas; who, followed by Chow, returned to the 
mound, wLere for a minute he stood contemplating 
all that remained of the last Emperor of the Ming 
dynasty. Alas ! poor prince, that thy virtues should 
have been clouded with so many faults. See, O 
Chow, how bitterly he felt the ingratitude of his 
petted and pampered guards,” said Nicholas, reading 
some lines that the Emperor had written in his own 
blood upon the border of his robe, and which were: — 
“The heavens are in thy favor, O Li-Kong; yet, 
although my subjects have basely abandoned me, 1 
beseech of thee, as their parent, to wreak thy ven- 
geance on my body ; but save, O save my deluded 
people.” 

“The rebels come this way,” said Chow. 

“ Let us hide till they have passed,” said Nicholas, 

15 


226 


THE WAR TIGER. 


and snatching up his cross-how, he ascended the near 
est tree, believing that Chow had done likewise. 

The new comers were two officers of Li-Kong. 

“ It was in this direction, O Lee, near the mulberry 
grove,, that the woman slave saw the princess fly,” 
said one, looking about. 

“So said the heaven-bestowed Li,” replied the 
other; but perceiving the body of the deposed 
sovereign, rebel as he was, his inherited awe for the 
majesty of the Emperor caused him to throw himself 
upon the ground, saying, “This then, O my poor 
prince, is the end of thy glories ! indeed thy punish- 
ment has been severe, may it lead thy successor to 
avoid thy faults.” 

“ Get thee to thy feet, O Quang, for the Emperor 
who can forsake his people well merits that they 
should forsake him in his extremity ; moreover, should 
the heaven-bestowed Li see thee, he will cause thy fool- 
ish head to be chopped from thy shoulders, for, like a 
hungry tiger, he cares but little whether his food be 
friends or enemies, so that he can satisfy his appetite.” 

“ Thy words are good,” said Quang, rising to his 
feet: adding, “Yet the most ravenous beast becomes 
satisfied.” 

“True, O Quang, but when this morning the great 
Li for the first time sat upon the golden throne of 
state, it trembled and tottered.” 

“ A sad omen, O Lee ; surely his majesty should 
have chosen a fortunate day.” 

“ Truly, according to the chief bonze, it is an omen, 
signifying that while the body of Wey-t-song remains 


ATTACK ON’ THE PALACE. 


whole, the heaven-bestowed Emperor is in danger, 
and it is this that has angered him ; but see, he 
comes,” and both fell to the earth before the rebel 
general, who approaching with his great officers, 
said, “ Have you discovered the princess, you crawl- 
ing slaves ?” 

“ At the risk of their lives thy slaves must deliver 
their miserable intelligence to the fortunate and 
heaven-bestowed founder of the most magnificent 
of dynasties,” said Quang. 

“ Let the slave open his lips.” 

“ The great princess has escaped with the Chris- 
tiar. woman Candida,” replied the trembling Quang. 

Escaped !” exclaimed the tyi'ant ; “ then let it 
be proclaimed throughout the empire that he who 
can bring her unarmed to our feet, shall receive high 
promotion, and the weight of his mean body in gold ;” 
but at that moment, for the first time, seeing the body 
of the Emperor, he exclaimed, “The great traitor 
to his people has been too fortunate in having been 
permitted to close a luxurious career with the honor- 
able punishment of self-destruction ; he should have 
been exhibited alive in a cage ;” then reading the 
fines upon the dead sovereign’s robe, “ See thou, 
O Quang, that the miserable body be cut into a 
thousand pieces, and distributed far from the tombs 
of his royal ancestors,” said tins new-made sovereign, 
with less generosity than the second Emperor of the 
Tartar race, who some years after, while hunting, hap- 
pening to see in the distance the monument which 
had been erected to the memory of the unfortunate 


228 


THE WAR TIGER. 


Wey-t-song, quitted his horse, and falling upon the 
earth, said, with tears in his eyes, “ O Prince ! O 
Emperor! worthy of a better fate, you know that 
your destruction was not owing to us, your death 
lies not at our door, your own subjects brought it 
upon you, it was they that betrayed you ; it is there- 
fore upon them, and not on my ancestors, that heaven 
must send down vengeance.” 

As you may imagine, this arrested the attention 
of Nicholas, who became deeply interested, and, as 
he listened, it Avas with difficulty he could keep down 
his indignation. lie had smiled as he heard of Lee’s 
terror at the omen, groaned at the slaughter of the 
people, rejoiced at the escape of the Lady Candida, 
the more so as the soldiers believed that she had 
carried away the princess Avith her, A\ffiich AA’Ould at 
least throw them off the right track ; then at the 
sight of the brutal Li he had instinctively placed an 
arroAV on his boAV, but the danger of the princess 
taught him prudence, and he did but nervously tAvitch 
the string; Avhen, hoAvever, Li spoke of the dead 
Emperor his heart throbbed with indignation, and 
he was nigh losing his presence of mind ; then when 
Li delivered the order for the mutilation of the body, 
every vein in the boy’s forehead and neck seemed 
bursting Avith rage, which, when the tyrant struck 
the corpse Avith his foot, he could no longer suppress ; 
no human power could keep it back, and just missiiig 
the tyrant’s throat so narroAvly that its feather 
brushed his necklace, an arrow pierced the bark of 
the tree against which he Avas standing. 


attack on the palace. 


220 


“ See with what vigilance the guards have sought 
for traitors, when this could so nearly reach the 
mark,” said the brave rogue, coolly, but holding his 
shield in readiness for the next. 

Unlike Li-Kong, whose courage was as remarkable 
as his crimes, the teeth of his officers chattered, and 
their knees knocked together with fear, as if the 
arrow had been a thunderbolt from their own gods ; 
when, however, they recovered, they placed their 
shields before their faces and rushed to the direction 
from whence the arrow had flown, and would soon 
have discovered Nicholas but for a huge lion, who, 
finding the door of his cage open, rushed upon the 
group with such unmistakable intentions, that not 
only the officers, but Li-Kong, brave as he was, fled 
in terror to the palace, with the beast at their heels. 
You will little wonder at the extreme fright of the 
soldiers, when I tell you that this lion was the only 
animal of his kind in China, having been presented 
to the late Emperor by a foreign king, or they would 
probably have met the brute face to face. 


230 


THE WAR TIGER. 


CHAPTER XXIX. 

THE SECRET CAVERN. THE PRINCESS SAVED BY THE 

BOYS. 

‘‘ Thou hast had a narrow escape, O most prudent 
master,” said Chow, coming forth when he saw the 
coast clear. 

“ Had I been taken, it would have been a just pun- 
ishment for missing my mark ; but by what fortunate 
chance did that savage beast escape from his cage, O 
Chow ?” replied Nicholas, descending the tree. 

“ That chance, O my master was the foresight of 
thy servant, who unfastened the door of the cage of 
that four-footed brother of Yen-Vang, neither know- 
ing nor caring whether he might not himself be the 
first meal, so that the noble Nicholas escaped.” 

“ It was well done, my brave Chow ; yet surely 
that rebel rogue must be protected by some demon 
to have escaped so narrowly both arrow and lion ; 
but let us haste to the cavern, or they may return.” 

Now, although the whole of this adventure had not 
occupied more than an hour, Nicholas was greatly in 
fear for what might have happened to the princess, 
an anxiety reciprocated by the princess, who, as soon 
as she saw them again, exclaimed, “ Thank heaven, 
the noble youth is saved ;” then added reproachfully, 
“But he has not performed his promise, for he 


THE SECRET CAVERN. 


231 


brings not the sacred remains of liis royal master 
when, however, Nicholas related the adventure, 
although in great anguish of mind at being denied the 
sacred right of paying the last office of respect to the 
corpse of her parent, she was overjoyed at their 
escape. 

“Escape, O great princess; thy small servant is 
not clever and gifted, hke the mole, or he would eat 
a hole through the end of this rat-trap ; for to attempt 
it by the entrance would he to submissively ask the 
traitor Li-Kong to cut us all into ten thousand 
pieces,” said Chow. 

“The words of the brave Chow are reasonable, for 
truly this cavern is but a trap,” said Nicholas. 

“ It is not so ; push thou against the end of the 
cavern,” said the princess. 

“ Truly we are fortunate,” said Nicholas with as- 
tonishment, as he found the end giving way, and dis- 
closing to his vision a long narrow passage. 

“ It was made by the great Tait-sou, and leads to 
an unfrequented suburb of the city ; by this means he 
could leave the palace alone, and by mixing among 
the people judge for himself how the mandarins were 
respected by them,” said the princess. 

“ Surely they will follow us here,” said Nicholas. 

“Not so, noble youth; for the secret is known but 
to few. It was the sole vile act of the great Tait- 
sou’s reign that he caused this passage to be made 
by condemned prisoners, whom he afterward slew, 
that they might not divulge the secret,” said the 
princess, adding, “ Let us trace its course.” 


232 


THE WAR TIGER. 


Then, helping the wounded girl to walk, they pro- 
ceeded down the passage for a considerable distance, 
till their progress was arrested by a door ; pushing 
this, however, they found themselves in a small cav- 
ern, lighted, like the one at which they had entered, 
by a small grating from above. 

“ How is it possible, O noble Nicholas, that we can 
pass through the roaring rebels, who are, doubtless, 
without ?” said Chow. 

“ It is a reasonable question, O noble youth ; truly 
we had better remain here till night,” said the 
princess. 

But, having considered for a minute, Nicholas said, 
“Not so, great princess; remain thou here with 
Chow, and thy servant will find some means of deliv- 
erance whereupon he borrowed from Chow his less 
conspicuous cap, robe, and boots, then felt his way up 
a fiight of narrow steps, till his head struck against a 
trap-door ; lifting this gently, he found himself in a 
small stone room, the door of which stood open ; 
passing this, he came into an oblong court, and saw at 
once that the place had been erected as a tomb, and, 
moreover, that he was at the most remote end of a val- 
ley of tombs. So far he believed the princess to be in 
a place of safety, for none, even in those rebellious 
days, would dare to enter the ancestral tomb of an- 
other. 

Crossing this valley of sepulchres with inverted 
face, as if in deep contemplation after visiting the 
tomb of his ancestors, he came mto the open road, 
where a vast crowd were floating onward into the 


THE SECKET CA7EIIN. 


233 


city, mad with excitement, and shouting, “ Many 
years’ life to the heaven-sent Emperor!” he mixed 
with them, and so, safely passed onward to the house 
of the merchant Yang, who no sooner saw him than he 
ordered an incense table, and returned thanks to Fo 
for his safety. “For,” said h6, “thy servant made 
but little doubt that the son of the great Chin-Chi- 
Loong had been slain.” 

“The son of the merchant of the south lives to 
avenge the death of his Emperor,” said Nicholas. 

“Hist! hist!” said the merchant, pale with fear, 
lest some servant might hear the words; adding, 
“Truly Wey-t-song but merited his fate.” 

“Art thou also a traitor, O Yang?” exclaimed 
Nicholas, indignantly. 

“ The rich need be cautious, for is it not a maxim, 
that a successful rebel is more to be feared than a 
dead Emperor, O noble Nicholas ?” 

Indignant as he was at this disloyalty, Nicholas, 
remembering the necessity of the princess, dissembled 
his anger, and said, “Is the worthy Yang under suf- 
ficient obligation to Chin-Chi-Loong to serve his 
son ?” 

“ Even to the extent of his life and fortune.” 

“ Then I will trust thee,” said Nicholas, dropping 
the usual formality of speech, and telling him the 
whole of his adventure of the morning. 

“ Truly, 0 youth, this is a dangerous affair ; but 
Yang dares not break faith with the great chief who 
may some day be master of us all,” said the merchant, 
trembling with fear. 


234 


THE WAR TIGER. 


“ This, then, is just ; I would have the head-dress 
and mourning garb of a widow, and the coarse robes 
of two Coolies.” 

“This is a cautious method of proceeding, and 
shall be done,” said Yang, who left the room, leaving 
the impatient youth walking to and fro with great 
anxiety. The articles, however, not being very diffi- 
cult to obtain in that part of the city, the merchant 
soon returned with them packed up in a small bale ; 
then, hastily thanking Yang, Nicholas took the bale 
with him some little distance from the house, and 
paid two Coolies to carry him in their sedan to the 
gate of the valley of tombs ; having arrived there, he 
jumped out of the chair, and paid the Coolies hand- 
somely, telling them to leave it near the gate, and to 
fetch him again in two hours’ time ; when, not in the 
least doubting the honesty of so generous a customer, 
the Coolies went off to spend their earnings at a wine- 
shop, and Nicholas proceeded cautiously to the 
cavern. 

“ Having explained his scheme to the princess, he 
left her in the cavern to attire herself in the widow’s 
weeds, while he and Chow proceeded to the tomb 
above, to assume the garbs of Coolies. 

“ This being done, he gave Chow some silver and 
sent him off to the wine-shop, after which he assisted 
the princess up the steps, and, supporting her, they 
slowly walked through the valley, till they came with- 
in a short distance of the gate, when, to the delight 
of Nicholas, Chow came up to them and said : — 

“I found the two sots drinking like fishes, and 


THE SECRET CAYERN. 


235 


when I told them a merchant wished to hire them, 
they laughed heartily, saying, that they had already 
been engaged by too good a passenger to stir for the 
next two hours.’ 

“ Then, assisting the princess into the chair, Nich- 
olas and Chow took the j^lace of the Coolies, and so 
carried it to the house of Yang. 

As Yang had prepared the ladies of his family to 
receive a young girl, who, he said, was about to be 
taken into a distant province by her brother, as soon 
as the troubles had subsided, the princess was warmly 
received in the Hall of Ancestors, and immediately 
conducted to the inner apartments of the house. 
Cleverly as this was managed, Nicholas now trembled 
for the safety of the princess ; indeed, she could be 
safe no where, but with the Lady Candida, or the 
Prince Yong-Li, both of whom he believed to have 
fled to Woo-san-Kwei, in Leao-tong, therefore, diffi- 
cult as was the task, he determined to take her to that 
province. As for Yang, whose loyalty was stronger 
toward the family of Nicholas than to the imperial 
line, and who really wished a person likely to prove 
so dangerous as the princess out of his house, he ofier- 
ed his advice and assistance ; and as a small junk be- 
longing to him was about to proceed to Tien-sin, on 
the banks of the Pei-ho (or white river) with a cargo 
of goods in exchange for salt, he oflered to place it at 
the command of Nicholas, who, when at the mouth 
of the river, would find it no difficult matter to make 
a voyage through the gulf of Pe-tche-Lee, and of Leao- 
tong, to some town upon the coast. 


236 


THE WAR TIGER. 


i 

This being arranged, they determined that the 
junk should start as soon as she was laden, and that 
the princess should embark as a young widow, whose 
husband having been killed in the rebellion, was re- 
turning to sec her friends in Leao-tong. But then 
the princess could not travel without a female attend- 
ant, — and whom could they trust ? that seemed their 
greatest difficulty. It was surmounted, however as 
you will see in the next chapter. 


A LARGE STOCK OF LADIES. 


237 


CHAPTER XXX. 

A LARGE STOCK OF LADIES, TWO TAELS PER SACK. 

Previously to his successful march upon Pekin, 
Li-Kong had besieged the capital of the great prov- 
ince of Honan, which, after a few days’ hard fighting, 
he succeeded in taking ; when by way of punishing 
the inhabitants for their brave resistance, he ordered 
a slaughter so large and indiscriminate that for many 
after years his name was used as a bugbear to frighten 
children ; so insatiable was his appetite for decapita- 
tion, that, like Nero, he longed that the millions had 
but one neck, that he might strike the whole of their 
heads at a blow. 

The mightiest rivers, however, can but run their 
course, and so at length, in the event of his making 
himself Emperor, he might have some subjects left, 
he commenced to banish and to pardon, and by way 
of rewarding his soldiers, one day when he was in 
a good humor, he commanded them to sell the whole 
of the remaining women prisoners in the public 
market-place, and keep the money ; but as the soldiers 
asked such high prices, and the fathers, husbands, 
and brothers, of Honan, had been robbed of their 
property, after a two days’ sale a large stock of ladies 


238 


THE WAR TIGER. 


remamed on hand, which they were obliged to take 
with them to Pekin, where, after the conquest, they 
hoped to obtain better prices. 

Tyrants are, however capricious; and so, being 
offended with his soldiers for not discovering the 
princess, with hideous humor Li-Kong ordered the 
women to be placed in sacks, and sold with other 
plunder at two taels each. 

Now it so happened that on the morning of the 
sale, Chow was passing through the market-place, 
and seeing a crowd of people examining the sacks, 
which w'ere arranged in rows and tied at the necks, 
with small breathing holes near the top, he stopped to 
watch the progress of the cruel comedy. Anxious 
fathers, brothers, and husbands, who had followed 
the army from Honan, for the purpose of rescuing 
their female relatives, bought sack after sack at the 
reduced price, each, when the purchase was com- 
pleted, tearing them open; the greater number, how- 
ever, giving vent to fearful cries, when they discov- 
ered that their chance in the lottery proved a blank ; 
others, recognizing a wife, daughter, or sister, would 
become almost frantic with joy. Many, before pur- 
chasing, would slip behind a sack, rip it with a knife, 
to have a peep, and get rewarded with a sound caning 
for their artfulness. 

Well there were only half a ton, or at least five 
sacks of ladies left for disposal, when a great lout of a 
countryman drew up in his cart, jumped out, and after 
looking at his almanac, said, “ Truly this is a fortu- 
nate day, and I am likely to get a good wife cheap ; so, 


A LARGE STOCK OF LADIES. 


230 


altliougli two taels is all I have obtained for my last 
crop of rice, I will trust to Fo; for young , or old, 
handsome or ugly, I must have a wife to help me till 
my grounds.” Just then a shrill scream issued from 
one of the sacks. “ Who knows,” continued the 
countryman, “ but the gods may have sent that 
scream to direct my choice, for if the woman is 
neither young nor pretty she may be well dressed, and, 
consequently the wife or daughter of some wealthy 
mandarin, who will purchase her of me, and so make 
my fortune?” 

“ Jjet the noble paddy bird make his choice quick- 
ly,” said a soldier. 

“There are the two taels, most illustrious war 
tiger,” said the countryman, giving the money and 
taking his choice. 

“We will see thy choice,” said one of the soldiers, 
about to open the sack. 

“N’ay, illustrious soldier, it would offend the gods 
if other eyes but mine saw my prize.” So saying, the 
man took the sack up in his huge arms, lifted it into 
the cart, and drove slowly away, followed by Chow, 
who was curious to discover the kind of prize the wise- 
acre had drawn. 

Unable to restrain his curiosity, the man no sooner 
reached an unfrequented part of the suburbs than he 
stopped by the bank of a canal, pulled a knife from 
his pocket, ripped open the sack ; but then a change 
came o’er his dream, for with his body bent double, 
his two hands upon his knees, and his bullet head 
thrown to the extreme stretching of his neck, he 


240 


THE WAR TIGER. 


Stared with disgust for at least a minute, then in a 
paroxysm of rage, the disappointed ruffian placed his 
hands upon the woman’s shoulders, screaming, “ Thou 
vile old bamboo stick!” 

The trembling woman fell upon her knees and 
prayed for mercy. 

“ Has the wretched woman no friend who will pur- 
chase her ?” 

“Truly the friends and relations of thy servant 
have been slaiu by the soldiers ; she has no friend in 
the world.” 

“ Thou hast robbed me of my money, thou antique 
rat, and shall be punished,” said the brute, who, first 
striking her to the ground, picked her up in his arms, 
and would have thrown her into the canal but for 
Chow, who, going to the back of the cart, caught 
hold of the man’s legs and dragged him on to the 
ground, when, not comprehending the wherefore of 
his wheelbarrow position, the fellow began to roar 
for mercy, but turning his face and finding his enemy 
to be a mere youth, he sprang upon his legs and at- 
tacked him with his clenched fists. For a time they 
had a hard fight, after the fashion of the Chinese, who 
are as much given to that sport, pastime, or brutality, 
as the English themselves. At length, however, with 
one well-directed blow, Chow settled the transaction, 
when, admitting himself to be soundly thrashed, as 
all women-beaters should be, the bully fell upon his 
knees, and said, that if the woman were a relation he 
was sorry for what he had done in the moment of 
vexation at losing his monev, and moreover, begged 



is; -"''ii 


Chow roscues hif> S.Iothor. 







A LARGE STOCK OF LADIES. 241 

that Chow would purchase her again for half the 
amount he had paid. 

“ Take the whole, thou miserable dog,” said Chow, 
throwing down two taels that Nicholas had given 
him in the morning, to purchase a thick robe for the 
voyage to Leao-tong, then, lifting the poor creature 
from the cart, he laid her upon the bank of the canal, 
and by dashing water in her face brought her to her 
senses. But why does Chow suddenly fall at her feet, 
kiss the hem of her garment, take both her hands in 
his own, gaze in her face for a moment, and then, 
throwing his arms around her neck, sob like an in- 
fant. Surely there was some good reason for such 
strange conduct? — ^We shall see. 


16 


242 


THE WAR TIGER. 


CHAPTER XXXI. 

CHOW MAKES A DISCOVERY, AND NICHOLAS A SURPRISE. 

While Chow had been engaged in his adventure 
with the countryman, Yang recived intelligence from 
the commander of his junk, that the vessel was laden, 
and only awaited his orders for sailing. So far, cir- 
cumstances w^ere favorable for the voyage to Leao- 
tong, and if they could but secure a proper attendant 
for the princess they might set out that evening. 
That was the great difficulty to be got over. Many 
plans w'ere suggested, but all seemed so fraught with 
danger of discovery, that they were well nigh at their 
wit’s end. While Nicholas and Yang were discuss- 
ing the matter, there Avas a great hammering upon 
the gong at the door. It was Chow, who in another 
minute stood before them. Alone ? No, but to the 
astonishment of Nicholas, accompanied by a woman, 
so veiled that no feature could be seen. 

“How ! what means this ? Who is this woman ?” 
exclaimed Nicholas. 

“ The noble Nicholas bestowed two taels upon his 
servant.” 

“What words are these?” replied Nicholas, impar 
tiently ; adding ; “ Hast thou bought the robe ?” 

“ Pardon, .0 noble master, but thy servant can bet- 


CHOW MAKES A DISCOVERY. 


243 


ter do without a robe for the rest of his life than the 
glorious purchase he has made with those taels.” 

“ What purchase is this, thou rogue ?” said Nicho- 
las, vexed that he could get no direct answer. 

“His dearly beloved lost mother, O my master.” 

“ Thy mother ! What words are these ?” 

Then, when Chow had related the scene with 
the sacks, and his adventure with the country- 
man, and how that it resulted in the discovery 
of his mother, who stood before them, Nicholas 
heartily and sincerely congratulated him, as did also 
the merchants, who ordered the servants to take her 
to the inner apartments, all of which so gratified the 
delighted Chow that he fell at the feet of Nicholas, 
kissed the hem of his robe, and with tears of grati- 
tude and joy told them that his mother had made her 
escape from the slayer of her husband, but having 
been retaken, the enraged mandarin had ordered 
her to be sold with the other women. So, O noble 
Nicholas, has the great Tien rewarded thy servant 
for endeavoring to rescue what he thought to be a 
strange woman from a villain, who was about casting 
her in the canal.” 

“Now, nothing could be more fortunate for all 
parties than this discovery of Chow’s, for as the 
mother would not leave Chow, nor Chow leave his 
mother or his master, if he could help it, it was spee- 
dily settled that no better attendant could be found 
for the princess, and so it was arranged that they 
should start at once. 

The merchant, partly by his great interest with the 


244 


THE WAR TIGER. 


usurper’s government, and partly by bribes, secured 
a com-ho or passport for himself and family ; sedan 
chairs were procured, and the whole party passed 
through the city to the river, where the junk was 
awaiting them. Then, having seen them safe on 
board and given instructions to his captain to obey 
Nicholas, he placed a purse of silver in the youth’s 
hands, took his leave, and left the travelers to pursue 
their journey, and with but one interruption from a 
river mandarin, who stopped their progress to exam- 
ine their cam-ho, the junk proceeded down the Pei-ho, 
or white river. 

The junk was upon a small scale something like 
what the houses of our merchants were, when, proud 
of their profession, they had their residences attached 
to their warehouses, one-half being occupied by the 
cargo, and the other divided into rooms, each of 
which was furnished in accordance with the quality 
cf its tenant. The two usually set aside for the la- 
dies of the family were tenanted by the princess, who, 
as became her rank and sex, kept herself secluded 
from the eyes of the male passengers and sailors. 

For several days they continued their voyage down 
the river, till by the fields of millet seed, pulse, and 
turnips, the numerous mud hovels, the shoals of small 
boats, and the thousands of starving men, women, 
and children, who were paddling about the fields, 
and the very city of huge salt stacks upon the banks, 
they saw that they were approaching the town of 
Tien-sin, at which place, in consequence of the num- 
ber of vessels which had arrived that day laden with 


CHOW MAKES A DISCOVEKY. 


245 


timber, they were delayed for some time before the 
captain could unload his vessel and take in a cargo 
of salt. 

As in our own manufacturing counties many thou- 
sands of poor mechanics and artisans make little liv- 
ings for themselves and great fortunes for their em- 
ployers, so in Tien-sin, the most miserably poor and 
shrivelled portion of the vast population in China pro- 
duce a commodity which places their masters, the 
salt dealers, among the most wealthy merchants in 
the Empire. While the captain is unloading his 
cargo I will tell you how these people produce this 
common edible. 

In addition to the pits of salt, which, like coal, are 
found in many of the provinces, there are many 
places where it is discovered by scattered spots of 
gray earth. To obtain this salt, they level the sur- 
face of the earth as smooth as glass and in a sloping 
direction so that the water will run off. When dried 
by the sun, and the white particles of salt are seen, 
they first raise it in small heaps, like haycocks, then 
spread it upon sloping tables with ledges, and pour 
soft water upon it, which, as it soaks in, extracts the 
salt and runs into an earthen vessel by means of a 
small channel. The earth thus drained is not wasted, 
but laid aside, so that after a few days, when dry, 
they reduce it to a fine powder, and replace it in the 
spot from whence it was taken, when, after six days, 
it is again mixed with particles of salt, which are 
again extracted as before, so that not one atom be- 
comes lost. 


246 


THE WAR TIHER. 


While the men are thus engaged in the fields, the 
women and children are employed in huts, in boiling 
the salt water in large iron basins, which they place 
over an earthen stove, with holes made in such a man- 
ner that the fire heats all the basins alike. When the 
saltwater has boiled some time, it becomes thick, and 
changes slowly into a very white salt, which is stirred 
with an iron spatula till it becomes quite dry. 

When the captain had exchanged his cargo for an 
other of dates, which he intended again to exchange 
profitably in Leao-tong for peas and drugs, Nicholas 
purchased a quantity of furs and mats, which he soon 
found to be necessary; for, as they approached 
further to the north, the winds blew keenly, and the 
iceblocks floated so numerously as frequently to im- 
pede their voyage ; indeed, the cold was so intense 
that nothing but the fear of losing life or liberty, or 
the love of gold, would have induced any one to make 
the voyage in that inclement season (it was in No- 
vember). Indeed, by the time they had passed the 
the mouth of the Pei-ho and got into the gulf of 
Pe-tche-Lee, the snow fell so heavily, and the north 
winds blew so keenly, that, breaking through all dis- 
cipline, the sailors lighted fires upon the deck, and 
laid near them, drinking rice spirit so copiously, that 
had not Nicholas, who knew so well how to manage 
such insubordinates, thrown the spirit tubs over- 
board, they must have foundered upon the Sha-loo- 
•poo-teen islands. As it was, so long and so rough 
was the passage across the gulf, that the princess be- 
came fearfully ill ; so much so, indeed, that at one 


CHOW MAKES A DISCOVERY. 


247 


time they feared she would have died. At length, 
however, they came to an anchor off the coast of 
Kin-Chow, a distance of seven miles from the shore, 
and so planted with dangerous rocks that they were 
compelled to make fire-signals for the townspeople to 
, put off to them in their lighters or barges. 

As the people have these lighters always ready for 
the purpose, it was not long before several answered 
the signal, and came alongside. Choosing the' most 
commodious, Nicholas caused a large fire to be lighted 
in the cabin, where the princess, who was too ill to 
walk, was lifted on board, and the lightermen rowed 
them the roughest seven miles of their journey. 
Nicholas and Chow paced the deck in no very good 
humor, as they were obliged to entrust themselves 
to the slow movements of the boatmen, who neither 
for love nor money would hasten their pace. More- 
over, as the sea rolled so heavily, the distance was 
lengthened by their being compelled to take a cir- 
cuitous course between and around the dangerous 
rocks. 

When the boatman, who, although slow, were sure, 
brought them beneath the huge rocks which form the 
sea-walls of Leao-tong, Chow looked up with amaze- 
ment. “Surely,” said he, “Yen-Vang must have 
built these great rocks to prevent the province from 
falling upon the heads of the people in his watery 
dominions;” adding, as he saw some little birds, 
like swallows, flying about the rocks, “Truly, if my 
eyeballs are straight, those little creatures promise 
us some of the soup of life.” 


248 


THE WAR TIGER. 


“Truly our eyeballs play us false, O Chow, for 
these birds are seldom found but on the coast of 
Tonquin, Java, and Cochin-China,” said Nicholas 
doubtfully. 

“ It is true that the servant has not the wisdom of 
his master, yet the stomach and the nose are excel- 
lent diviners. Moreover, it is said that this bird-nest 
soup is strengthening to the weak. The princess is 
weak, O my master, and Chow would obtain some of 
those nests.” 

Then, as they were near a jutting point of the rock 
of no very difficult ascent, Nicholas ordered the barge 
to stop, while Chow ascended and procured some 
half-dozen of the nests, from which to the present 
day, one of the most popular dishes of China is made. 

As Nicholas had said, these birds’ nests are seldom 
found except on the coasts of Java, Cochin-China, 
and Tonquin. The birds are not unlike swallows, as 
to their feathers ; the nests, which they build high 
up in the clefts of the rocks, are supposed to be com- 
posed of small sea-fish, fastened together by means 
of a viscous juice, which distils from the beaks of the 
little creatures, and serves as a gum to fasten the 
nests to the rock. They are also seen to take the 
froth that floats upon the sea, with which they cement 
every part of their nests, in the same manner that 
swallows build with mud and clay. This matter 
being dried, becomes solid, transparent, and of a 
greenish color ; but, while fresh, it is generally white. 

When Chow had procured these nests, the boat- 
men resumed their toil, and in a short time reached 


CHOW MAKES A DISCOVERY. 


249 


the harbor ; Chow landed first, and having procured 
a litter, the princess and his mother were conveyed 
through the rows of dirty-looking granite houses, 
which form the town of Kin-Chow, till they arrived 
at a small inn. 


250 


THE WAR TIGER. 


CHAPTER XXXII. 

NICHOLAS PUNISHES AN UNGRATEFUL INNKEEPER, 
AND ESCAPES FROM HIS TREACHERY. 

Rejoiced that the tedious sea-voyage was at an 
end and that the princess would, in all probability, by 
a few day’s rest, gain health and strength suflScient 
for the long land journey before them, you may guess 
the vexation of Nicholas, on arriving at the inn, to 
find a crowd of persons around the door enjoying “ 
the following scene. The innkeeper was kneeling 
before the chair of a tax-gathering mandarin, surroun- 
ded by his bamboo sticks in waiting, who seemed to 
have in their charge three beggars. 

Mandarin . — “ Thrice hath the dog’s hide been cor- 
rected, and yet his tribute is not ready.” 

Innkeeper . — “ Is it not true, O tribute-collecting 
lord, that but little may be gleaned from an empty 
purse ?” 

Mandarin . — “Therein is thy crime, slave, that 
having thrice received our paternal correction, thy 
vile purse should still remain empty. Know, thou 
mean dog, that the purse of the subject should be ever 
at the service of the Emperor.” 

Innkeeper., giving his empty purse . — “ The laws of 
the empire must be obeyed, there is thy servant’s 
purse.” 


AN UNGRATEFUL INNKEEPER. 


251 


Mandarin, angrily. — “ Would the vile innkeeper 
laugh in our face ?” 

Innkeeper. — “ Surely, O great mandarin, the owner 
of an empty purse hath but little cause for laughing !” 

Mandarin. — “ Thou incorrigible dog, where hath 
been thy industry, that thou hast not sufficient even 
to pay thy taxes 

Innkeeper. — “Truly the wars and the robbers 
have driven from the province its trade, and thy ser- 
vant hath not rice sufficient to sustain life in the mean 
bodies of himself and family.” 

Mandarin. — “ If these are straight words, the 
dog’s life cannot be of value to him ; let him, there- 
fore, pay the debt he owes to the Emperor, by 
humbly begging of the Tartar-subduing General, 
Woo-san-Kwei to let him offer his carcass of full 
measure to the barbarians, that he may shield the life 
of a better man.” 

Innkeeper. — ^Truly, O fountain of wisdom the offi- 
cers of the rebel-subduing general have already stolen 
from thy servant his four sons.” 

Mandarin: — “ Stolen, thou vile rat ! Let the 
rogue receive twenty blows for this word of disre- 
spect, and fifty for half the debt he owes to the Em- 
peror.” 

In an instant the innkeeper was thrown upon 
his face, and while one man held his head, and an- 
other his feet, a third belabored the poor fellow till 
he roared again. When the punishment was con- 
cluded, and the innkeeper had, according to custom, 
thanked the official for his kindness, the mandarin 


252 


THE WAR TIGER. 


said, “ Such is the punishment of rogues who will not 
pay their taxes ; adding, “ But that the cheating inn- 
keeper may not escape too easily, let him provide 
food and lodging for these three poor people till his 
debt be paid.” 

“ May thy servant inquire the amount of this inn- 
keeper’s debt; for it is fitting that the taxes 
should be paid?” said Nicholas, coming forward to 
the astonishment of the official, who said, sternly, 
“ The sum, bold stranger, is one ounce of silver.” 

“ Then, may thy servant be permitted to pay this 
silver ; for he w^ould engage for himself and sister the 
man’s house, which cannot be large enough for these 
poor people also ?” 

“ Truly it may not be refused,” replied the man- 
darin, taking the money, and rescinding his order for 
the accommodation of the poor people ; but adding, 
as he left the spot, “ It is a maxim that people should 
settle their own debts before paying those of others.” 

“Where is the justice now, my master; for 
although he has received the debt in full, that rat of 
the taxes hath not taken back the blows from this 
poor man’s hide ?” said Chow, fortunately for himself 
in such soft tones that he could not be heard by the 
mandarin. More pleased than otherwise at the scene 
which they had considered good fun, the crowd dis- 
persed ; when* silencing the noisy gratitude of the inn- 
keeper, who, after all, had been more frightened than 
hurt with the blows which had been dealt out to him, 
as much as a matter of form as a punishment, Nicho- 
las and his party entered the inn, and having se- 


AN UNGRATEFUL INNKEEPER. 253 

cured the two best rooms, one for the princess and her 
attendant, the other for himself and Chow, he gave 
the bird’s nests to the wife of the innkeeper for the 
use of the ladies. 

As for themselves, the boys made a good meal, and 
then whiled the time away in conversation till it be- 
came dark, when they both sought their beds ; which, 
queer as it may seem to you — being nothing but 
piles of bricks shaped to the human form, and heated 
from beneath with charcoal, the flame and heat of 
which are dispersed by pipes joined to an upright 
tube, which carries the smoke through the roof — 
they greatly enjoyed after their long journey. 

The next morning Nicholas visited the princess, 
and to his surprise and delight found that she had re- 
covered her strength. “ This is indeed joy, O my 
princess !” said he, kneeling ; when, taking him by the 
hand, the royal lady said, “Kneel not before her 
whom thou hast so much befriended, O noble jouth ; 
for it is naught but the poor fatherless girl La-Loo 
who is before thee, and would indeed be thy sister.” 

“ This is not jDOSsible ; the daughter of the Ming 
can never be less in the world than its princess — first 
in beauty as in rank,” said Nicholas. 

“ The daughter of the Ming, or the girl La-Loo, be 
she whom she may, noble youth, will travel alone 
through this dreary province in search of her brother, 
if she can not journey as thy sister.” 

“Then be it so, for thy servant dares not disobey, 
O beautiful La-Loo !” said Nicholas ; adding, “ Is it 
the will of the princess, to proceed upon her journey ?” 


254 


THE WAR TIGER. 


“ The will of her adopted brother is the will of La- 
Loo,” replied the princess, and Nicholas left the 
room ; but pushing the door before him, imagine his 
surprise to find the innkeeper at the threshhold with 
his little head upward, his short arms stretched for- 
ward from his great body, and his legs in the hands 
of Chow, who appeared to be pulling him from the 
door. 

“ Release thy mean servant from the hands of this 
vile person, O noble -youth, or his legs will be pulled 
as easily from his body as those of a crab,” said the 
man, piteously looking in the face of Nicholas. 

“The rascal, the rogue, the elephant in size, but 
mouse in honesty, was listening to thy conversation, 
O my master,” said Chow. 

“ Let the mean rat rise upon his bamboo legs,” 
said Nicholas ; adding, “ What has the dog learned 
of his guests’ afifairs. ?” 

“ Truly so grand a mien could belong to none but 
the son of a king, and so beautiful a lady, could be 
none other than a princess,” said the man. 

“ Thou rascal,” said Nicholas ; but adding, more 
prudently, “ Canst thou be honest, and serve us ?” 

“ For ever, O noble youth,” replied the innkeeper. 

“Trust not so small a mouse,” said Chow. 

“ The innkeeper shall be rewarded according to his 
merits. Let him conduct his guest to the merchants 
of the town, and he shall receive some silver,” said 
Nicholas, quitting the house with the man, who led 
him to the various dealers and merchants, from whom 
he purchased a camel, a mule, a tent, provision, and 


AN UNGRATEFUL INNKEEPER. ‘ 27 )^ 

in short all things necessary for a long journey over- 
land. 

When he had made these purchases, he whispered 
some secret instruction in the ear of Chow, and 
sent him with the animals and articles back to the 
inn ; after which he said, “ Will the worthy innkeep- 
er open his lips in a temple, and promise to keep 
to himself the secret he has discovered ?” 

Truly the noble youth does not doubt that the words 
of his servant are straight?” replied the man, evasively. 

“The worthy innkeeper must do this, or forfeit 
these two ounces of silver,” replied Nicholas, exhibit- 
ing the money, which had the desired effect. 

“ There is but one temple for this poor town, and 
that is upon the mountain without the walls.” 

“ To that we will proceed, if the worthy innkeeper 
wdll show the way.” 

The man obeyed ; they passed through the gates 
of the town into a narrow road, which led them to 
the foot of a high mountain, near the summit of which 
stood a small temj)le. 

“ It would be better to seek an altar within the in- 
ner apartments of thy servant’s inn, the gods would be 
equally as attentive to his promise, and the noble youth 
would be saved the necessity of climbing so steep ahill.” 

“ Truly this temple can not be used often, or some 
easier means of ascent W'ould be made,” said Nicholas. 

“ The words of the noble youth are wdse, for truly 
this temple is but used on the festivals of the first of 
the month.” 

“ When is the next festival, O worthy innkeeper 


256 


THE WAR TIGER. 


“ To-morrow.” 

“ Then ascend.” 

Obeying, the innkeeper commenced climbing the 
narrow and slippery stairs cut in the hill side ; when 
they reached the top and stood in the temple before 
a huge wooden god, who seemed to form part of the 
back wall of the temple, out of which he bad been cut, 
Nicholas, pointing to one of the arms of the idol, said, 
Truly, the god hath been neglected and requires 
painting.” Turning his back to Nicholas to examine 
the idol, the man gave a shriek of alarm. Nicholas 
had taken a cord from his vest, thrown it over his 
arms, and made him as harmless as if he had been in 
a straight jacket. 

“ What means the youth ; is he a robber ?” 

“ Silence thou ungrateful hog,” said Nicholas, pull- 
ing him toward the idol, to which he secured his 
body, legs and arms. 

“Now, thou dog, open thy lips, and say what fell 
into thine ears whilst thou wast listening at the door 
of the ladies’ apartments.” 

“ Truly, thy mean servant could not hear much, 
for little was said by the princess.” 

“ Then how, thou trembling rogue, couldst thou 
know it was a princess who spoke ?” 

“Thy servant divined that the lady must be of 
exalted rank ; for in the first place, had she not been 
a great lady escaping from the province of Pekin, she 
would not have crossed the gulf in such weather, 
neither would so noble a youth as thyself have treat- 
ed a sister with such exalted respect.” 


AN UNGRATEFUL INNKEEPER. 


257 


“ Thou art a cunning dog, whose words are dust ; 
and if thou dost not admit that thy vile ears were at 
that door before the time when thou wert caught, I 
will slay thee,” said Nicholas, drawing his short 
sword, and holding it threateningly. 

“ Pardon, O noble youth ; but as iron can not re- 
sist the lode-stone, neither can the ears of thy servant 
resist a secret: he did — did listen,” said the man 
trembling with fear. 

“What didst thou hear, dog?” the sword was now 
at his throat. ^ 

“That the Emperor Wey-t-song was slain, and 
that the Emperor Li had offered a great reward for 
the Princess 6f the Mings.” 

Should I kill thee, thou mean rat, thou wouldst but 
meet thy merits.” 

“ The magnanimous youth would not soil his sword 
with the blood of so mean a person.” 

“No; but thou shalt remain here till we are be- 
yond the reach of harm from thy vile tongue.” 

“ Surely the noble youth would not starve so ill-con 
ditioned a person,” said the man in a whining tone. 
“ Thou art now safe, thou rogue, and I will pay thee 
the two taels I promised ; but if even when released 
from thy bondage when the temple is visited to-mor- 
row, thou speak but the name of the lady you have 
seen, I will return and punish thee, if it is years to 
come.” So saying Nicholas threw the silver upon 
the floor, closed the door of the temple, descended 
the mountain, and made as much haste as possible 
back to the inn. 

17 


258 


THE WAR TIGER. 


CHAPTER XXXin. 

AN OVERLAND JOURNEY. — ^ATTACKED BY WOLVES, 
AND STOPPED BY A SERPENT. 

By the time Nicholas returned to the inn, Chow 
had prepared every thing for their departure ; the 
camel was laden with a htter for the two ladies, be- 
hind which were two tents, rough sleeping mats, furs 
and a supply of food and fuel. 

“ All is prepared, O noble Nicholas, according to 
thy order,” said Chow. 

“ Thou art as nimble as thou art brave, Chow,” 
said Nicholas, passing to the room of the princess, 
whom he found with the mother of Chow well 
wrapped in furs. 

“ It is well that thou art prepared, O beautiful and 
illustrious La-Loo, for the villain innkeeper heard our 
conversation, and I doubt not intended to earn the 
rebel Li-Kong’s reward.” At this the limbs of the 
princess trembled, and her face became pale with 
fear. 

“ Let us haste then, O noble brother, for La-Loo 
fears that demon Li-Kong, and would rather that 
her parent’s blow had proved effective than fall into 
his power.” 

“ The weather is severe and the journey drear, and 
fraught with dangers of savage beasts and still more 


AN OVEKLAND JOUENEY. 


259 


savage men,” said li^'icholas, as fearful of the danger of 
proceeding as of remaining ; “ adding, “At least the 
innkeeper can not return till to-morrow, and early 
morning would be less dangerous than the darkness 
of this winter’s night.” 

“ The last of the line of the great Tait-sou have the 
courage of their ancestors. Let us on our journey, 
my brother said the princess. 

Without another word Nicholas led the princess 
and her attendant to the camel, and assisted them 
into the litter. 

“Surely,” said La-Loo, “ there are times when 
women should have the courage of men. An arrow 
sped by my hand would be as useful as one from 
the bow of my brother.” 

Understanding the meaning Nicholas gave the 
princess his own bow, and quiver full of arrows. 

“ Truly my venerable and beloved parent can pull 
a bow-string to .save her life,” said Chow giving his 
bow and arrows to his mother. 

“ This is not well, Chow, for we are left unarmed, 
except with our short swords, which will be of little 
use,” said Nicholas. 

“ The noble Nicholas left Chow to provide for the 
journey, and so, knowing that female arms, like 
female tongues, can fight when the time comes, he 
provided weapons for each,” said Chow, taking two 
bows from the sides of the mule. 

“ Thou hast the wisdom and foresight of a colao, O 
Chow,” said Nicholas, laughing; then adding, se- 
riously, “ But the guide.” 


260 


THE WAR TIGER. 


“Is here, O noble stranger, and as he hopes to 
have his tomb well dusted, will conduct thee safely 
to the distant mountains,” said a youth, stepping for- 
ward with an unlighted torch in his hand. 

Nicholas then mounting behind the camel. Chaw 
upon the mule, and the guide taking hold of the cord 
which was tied to the great animal’s mouth, they 
proceeded on their journey, and as it was just within 
the time of closing the gates, they passed out of the 
town into the open country of teas and drugs; and 
so quickly did they travel, that before night came on 
they had reached a narrow gorge between two 
mountains, which was good, inasmuch as they would 
be protected from the keen winds. The darkness 
came on, and the guide lighted his torch, which 
flamed so terrifically, that they might have passed 
for one of our slow night trains. 

“ So for some hours they traveled, till they came 
to a forest so dense with trees that the guide would 
go no further, and they pitched the two tents, one 
for the ladies, and the other for themselves, surround- 
ing both with a great fire, made of stubble, to keep 
off the wolves or other beasts of prey. The follow- 
ing morning they resumed their journey, till as they 
were leaving the forest, they could hear the distant 
howling of wolves ; the camel exhibited its fright by 
making strange noises, and the mule grew restless, 
snorted, and every now and then turned its head as 
if to look for its enemies. The whole party fixed ar- 
rows in their bows, ready for an attack, and for some 
time their hearts palpitated with alarm. Ordering 


AN OVERLAND JOURNEV. 


261 


the little caravan to stop, Nicholas sent Chow to ex- 
amine the probability of an attack. He had been ab- 
sent half an hour when they heard the trampling of 
horses near at hand. What could it mean ? surely 
they were not pursued? Then came Chow, who, 
running forward, said, “We are lost, O my master, 
for there are banditti near.” 

“ On my brother, on, for these rogues are doubtless 
the troops of the rebel Li-Kong,” exclaimed the prin- 
cess, as she leant forward from the litter with the 
bent bow in her hand ; and onward they went, with 
open ears, and as noiselessly as possible ; passing along 
the side of a mountain into which the wood opened, 
till they came to a gorge, when the guide stopped, 
and proposed that they should make a dHour^ in 
order to avoid the passage of the mountain platform. 

“ It is not possible, my master ; for to the right 
are the banditti, to the left the wolves. Let us keep 
onward and dare this platform and again they pro- 
ceeded through the gorge. Still the wolves kept up 
their dreary howling, and the trampling of the ban- 
ditti, if banditti they were, seemed at no greater dis- 
tance from them than the animals ; at length they 
passed through the gorge, when a sight was before 
them that would have caused the stoutest hearts to 
quail. There, leading from the gorge, was the plat- 
form of which the guide had spoken. It was sup- 
ported by rafters, which stood out some six feet from 
the rock, a mere shelf, without edge or railing, at 
least five hundred feet above the level of the sea, 
which the mountain skirted. 


262 


THE WAR TIGER. 


“ It would be death to cross with these auimals ; 
we must turn back and make the dHour^'' said the 
guide. 

“ Open thy ears. We dare not, O noble Nicholas,” 
said Chow ! “ for the wolves are upon us.” 

“ Onward, my brother, for there are sounds of 
more terrible beasts than wolves. Let us trust our- 
selves in the hands of Providence,” said the princess. 

Seeing the knees of the guide knockmg together 
with fear, Nicholas said, “-^ret thee to the rear, and 
follow the mule, thou coward ;” then, dismounting, he 
caught hold of the reins in the nostrils of the camels 
and averting his eyes from the chasm beneath, led the 
sure-footed beast along the platform. They had reached 
midway, when the wolves, with a howling concert, 
made their appearance at the commencement of the 
platform ; and as Chow, who brought up the rear, led 
the mule, he felt the animal tremble, and fearing that 
if the wild brutes ventured across the platform the 
terrified beasts would be the means of precipitating 
the whole party into the abyss, he trembled with 
anxiety. It was a fearful situation, but the brave 
youth retaining his presence of mind, crept to the 
flanks of the mule, and only in time, for one of the 
wolves who had ventured along the platform, follow- 
ed by the pack, received an arrow in his brain, and 
as he rolled over into the abyss beneath, its com- 
panions stood with their fore feet stretched for- 
ward, and their ears bent, as if astonished, when 
another arrow flew among them, but so intent 
had Chow become in this fight, that he was un- 


AN OVERLAND JOURNEY. 


263 


conscious that the progress of the rest of the party 
had been stopped midway. For the cause of this ^ve 
must return to Nicholas; who, as he led the camel, 
to his horror, saw issuing from a fissure in the rock 
the head of a serpent of the most venomus kind. He 
fixed an arrow in his bow, but a moment’s thought, 
and he dared not fire, for should he miss the reptile 
it would be upon them instantly. What should he 
do ? His sword — yes — he drew it ; but then he dared 
not leave the camel’s head, and he called to Chow, 
little thinking that he was in a more terrible position 
than himself. 

“ Let fiy thy arrow, my brother ; should you miss, 
here is my bow,” said the princess, leaning forward. 

Still Nicholas would not move. The situation was 
fearful ; the wolves on one side, the deadly serpent 
on the other ; indeed words are wanting to paint the 
dread anxiety and terror of all, even the animals 
who stood transfixed, with their hearts beating against 
their sides in the agony of fear. 


264 


THE WAR TIGER. 


CHAPTER XXXIV. 

SAVED BY A MUSK-DEER. STORIES OP WONDERFUL 

MOUNTAINS. 

Relief came, but so imperceptibly that it stole 
over them. A perfume so strong filled the air that 
the animals coughed, the great snake writhed, and 
approached nearer to them; they were lost; no, the 
perfume had entered the nostrils of the reptile ; its 
movement was languid, another second, and their de- 
liverer appeared. It was a musk-deer, or roe-buck, 
who had pursued the serpent till it had lost it in the 
fissure fbr a few minutes only, when, recovering its 
trail, the deer had pursued it to the platform, where, 
with one grip at its neck, it killed it, when, startled 
at the cavalcade, it retraced its steps, not at all to the 
regret of Nicholas, for, valuable as the musk animal 
was, his gratitude was too great to have killed it. 
Having crossed the platform, Nicholas saw the pre- 
dicament of Chow, who was still employed in keep- 
ing the wolves at bay. He had fired many arrows, 
yet had killed but three, while others sat crouching, 
as if neither liking to recede or advance, waiting, in 
fact, for the boy’s back to be turned, before they 
made an attack ; so keeping poor Chow in one terri- 
ble position, not daring to turn his back or to fire his 


SAVED BY A MUSK-DEER. 


265 


last remaining arrow, for fear that it should miss. 
The tables, however, were turned, when Nicholas, 
followed by the guide, both with fixed bows, came to 
his rescue ; one flight more from the three bows, and 
the now terrified beasts scampered off, when Chow 
returned to the other side of the platform with Nich- 
olas, and the whole party offered up thanks to Heaven 
for their miraculous preservation. 

It is in the mountains of Pe-tche-Lee that the musk- 
deer is generally found by hunters, who find a good 
market, not only for the musk, but the body, which 
is in great esteem ; and that I may account to you in 
a reasonable manner for the providential escape of the 
travelers, I must tell you that the flesh of serpents is 
the favorite and most common food of this roe-buck, 
who kills them with ease, however large or numer- 
ous ; for no sooner does he come near than the ser- 
pent becomes overpowered with the scent of the musk; 
and so well is this fact known to the mountaineers, 
that when they go to cut wood or make charcoal in 
the mountains, they carry about their persons a few 
grains of this musk, and rest and sleep without fear 
from the venomous snakes, which might otherwise 
destroy them. 

The travelers resumed their journey, and continued 
till it became dark, when they pitched their tents 
upon an open plain, lighted a circle of fire around 
their encampment, and remained for the night ; so, 
for at least three months, they continued this tedious 
journey, keeping within a few miles of the sea-coast, 
through mountains, plains and forests, till they reach- 


266 


THE WAR TIGER. 


ed a small village, at the base of the mountain chain 
of Lao-yang, where they were once more enabled 
to rest beneath the roof of a house, without fear 
of traitors, for Lao-yang was the head-quarters of 
the governor and general of the province, Woo- 
san-Kwei. 

As they were passing the ridges of these moun- 
tains, the guide kept his eyes fixed upon their green 
sides, as if in deep thought. “Surely my brother 
can see nothing wonderful in these tree-growing 
hills,” said Chow. 

Thy mean servant was dreaming of his native 
province, of which these mountains reminded him, 
although compared with those of my native Chen-si 
they are dirt heaps.” 

“ The mountains of my brother’s province of Chen- 
si are doubtless great, but they are mole-hills to 
those of Fokien, where thy unworthy brother was 
born,” said Chow. 

“Why, what words are these? Does not the 
whole world know that Chen-si has a mountain of the 
shape of a cock, and which sometimes crows so loud 
that it may be heard for ten miles?” 

“ Fokien has a mountain which is so high that its 
^ summit can not be seen, and foretells storms by mov- 
ing its great body to and fro like a tree with the 
wind.” 

“ It is a dirt-hill compared to another in Chen-si, 
that at the sound of a drum breathes forth fire and 
flame.” 

“Rat’s flesh! thy mountain is nothing to the good 


SAVED BY A MUSK-DEER. 


267 


hill of Fokien, which makes thieves so giddy when 
they gaze upon it, that they drop down their plunder, 
and run for their lives,” said Chow. 

“That may be useful, my brother, but how can its 
qualities be compared to another of my mountains, 
which has the power of conferring immortality upon 
all who live thereon?” replied the guide. 

“ It is even of doubtful merit compared to the 
mountain of Fokien, which has grown into the exact 
shape of the god Fo, and is so large that its eyes are 
three miles round, and its nose ten miles long.” The 
guide having no other on his list, turned sulkily aside, 
and so ended this conversation, which, I may tell 
you, did not spring from the imaginations of either, 
for the assertions on both sides are accredited by the 
people of China. 

Delighted at the probability of their being near 
the end of their journey, and as much so at the 
prospect of a few days’ rest, you may imagine the 
dismay of the party at being awakened early the 
next morning by a great tumult. What could it 
mean ? They were not long in doubt, for the master 
of the inn came to them with tears in his eyes. 
“Arise, O worthy strangers, this is an unfortunate 
day for us all; the thieves, the rats of the.. ocean 
have landed,” said he. 

“ What words are these, O worthy friend ?” said 
Nicholas, jumping to his feet. 

“ The Emperor Li is marching a great army to be- 
seige Lao-yang, where the great Woo-san-Kwei is 
encamped ; but far worse, the sea wasps have landed 


268 


THE WAR TIGER. 


within a day’s journey, and are scouring the country, 
joined by the rogues and thieves of the province, 
and the people are flying with what goods they can 
collect to the places of refuge ; if the noble stranger 
is wise he will follow,” said the man, leaving the 
room to make preparation for the departure of him- 
self and family. 

Of the places of refuge, of which the man spoke, 
there were many in the province of Leao-tong. Some 
were in the open plains, encompassed by strong walls, 
and entrenched ditches of great depth ; others were 
erected upon the summits of mountain crags, and 
approachable only by great ladders, or secret steps 
in the rock. 

Fearing for the safety of the princess, Nicholas lost 
no time in securing the aid of the innkeeper, who, 
for a handsome present, and in compassion for the 
ladies, ofiered to secure them a safe asylum. So when 
the greater portion of the terrified inhabitants of the 
terrified inhabitants of the little hamlet had fled to 
their different places of refuge, taking with them the 
bulk of their property, the innkeeper, placing his 
wife and daughter in a cart, led the way through a' 
defile of the mountain, and many times was he stop- 
ped by his flying neighbors, who implored of him to 
seek a safer place than the open mountains, where the 
rogues could so easily follow. Keeping steadily 
along the ridge, while they were in sight, the last 
had no sooner disappeared than he turned through a 
great cleft, just large enough for the cart and camel 
to pass, when, pointing to a crag which hung over 


SAVED BY A MUSK-DEER. 


269 


tlie summit, at a great height, he said, “ The rogues 
will not reach us there.” 

“ Are we birds, that we can fly ?” said Chow, with 
astonishment. 

When they had proceeded some distance through 
the opening, they came to another and narrower cleft, 
cut out of its sides, to pass through which they were 
compelled to unharness the mules and camel, when 
they entered a wide, open space, like a courtyard. 

“Even now we want wings, my brother,” said 
Chow, shuddering, as he gazed upward at the great 
height. 

“ Our wings are here,” said the man, turning aside 
what appeared to be a huge block of rock, but was 
only an ingenious imitation, when before them they 
was a flight of steps, steep, and so narrow, that they 
looked as if the ascent wmuld squeeze a fat man a 
a foot taller. 

However, pleased at the discovery of such a place 
of refuge, they did not stop to examine it, but passed 
onward; the princess first, and the other w^omen 
followed by the men, who carried articles of food, 
fuel, or raiment with them. Having reached the up- 
permost step, they crept through a hole large enough 
only for one person, and found themselves in one 
large room, the roof of which was indeed the summit 
of the rock. In the walls were small loopholes, from 
which could be seen many miles of country ; there 
was also a large space in one side for a fire, ^vhich 
was immediately made use of by Chow, who had car- 
ried the fuel. Then the guide was sent to fetch other 


270 


THE WAR TIGER. 


matters, after which they all sat down upon their 
mats, and partook of hot tea and rice cakes. 

“ Truly this is a wonderful place,” said Nicholas, 
who, although he knew that places of refuge were 
common in all the frontier provinces, had no notion 
of their real strength and security. 

“ See,” said the man, pointing to some huge stones 
near the entrance, and some heavy bars of iron hang- 
ing upon the walls, “ should the dogs discover our 
retreat, they may be crushed as small as tea-dust.” 

“ Truly they could but starve us out.” 

“ Not so, noble youth,” said the man pointing to a 
massive slab of rock ; and adding, “ This is a door 
and leads to another part of the mountain.” 

“ Truly our ancestors were wise.” 

“Necessity made them so, O youth ; for two thou- 
sand years this border province has been invaded at 
intervals by the Tartar barbarians.” 

When night came on, the men of the party de- 
scended to the cavern beneath, the women kept to 
the turret, and were rocked to sleep by the roaring 
wind, which brought to them the flame, smoke, and 
sparks, from below. They, however, were secure, 
although the enraged rogues had made a bonfire of 
their village — and they slept. 


TREACHERY OF THE GUIDE. 


271 


CHAPTER XXXV. 

TREACHERY OP THE GUIDE. — THE PRINCESS SEIZED 
BY ROBBERS. 

After a sojourn of three days in this hiding-place 
their provisions grew short ; moreover, it was proba- 
ble that the enemy had left the village, if, indeed, 
they had not taken their departure upon the first 
day ; therefore, it was arranged that one of the party 
should proceed upon a tour of observation, and as 
the guide not only volunteered, but from his profes- 
sion seemed to be the most fitting person, he was 
sent. After an absence of some hours, he brought 
them the information that not only had the enemy 
left the neighborhood, but there was plenty of game 
at hand, the great proof of which was the carcass of 
a yellow goat that he carried across his shoulders ; 
and so joyful was Nicholas at the news, that he pro- 
posed their immediate departure. 

“ It would not be wise, O my young friend, for 
these thieves are artful, and may be only lurking near 
till they can pounce upon us like tigers ; said the inn- 
keeper. 

“ This advice being reasonable, and, fearing more 
for the princess than himself, Nicholas readily agreed 


272 


THE WAR TIGER. 


to remain for a few more days ; but then, tired of 
confinement, and knowing that one small kid would 
be insufficient, he took his bow in his hands, saying, 
“Leave not this place, O Chow, till I return.” 

“ This may not be, O my master, for while here, 
there are two men, and a strong room to protect the 
ladies ; among the hills it will be as much as two 
can do to protect each other from strolling thieves,” 
said Chow ; which reasonable view, being supported 
by the princess and the innkeeper, Nicholas was 
compelled, although against his will, to comply with ; 
and so the two youths started off in company. 

Along mountain ridges, through valleys, and up 
steep crags, they toiled for some hours without meet- 
ing man or beast. At length, however, as they 
crossed a small hill covered with trees there was a 
rustling among the underwood, and they heard the 
grunt of some animal. “It is a boar, prepare thy 
bow,” said Nicholas. 

“ No, no, master, no ; he is running from us,” said 
Chow, who was upon higher ground and could see 
better. “ See,” he added, as Nicholas came by his 
side, “ he is sniffing something good ; what can it 
be ?” For a minute they watched the animal, who 
was quietly sniffing the ground near a small .opening 
of the mountain. “ See, he seeks the entrance, we 
must not lose him,” said Nicholas ; and in another 
minute the boar fell over with an arrow in his side 
when, drawing his sword, Nicholas ran up to it. The 
animal, however, was too quick, for instead of 
being unduly alarmed at the sudden attack, like 


TEEACHERY OF THE GUIDE. 273 

a sensible beast, he had, with his teeth, plucked 
the arrow from his body ; an operation he effected so 
quickly, that before Nicholas could stop, the boar 
met him half-way, tripped him over, and, placing his 
huge paws upon the boy’s face, would speedily have 
killed him, but for another arrow which Chow had 
sent through the brute’s thick neck. 

“That was a good aim, my brave Chow,” said 
Nicholas, as he arose, and passed his sword through 
the beast. 

“The obstinacy of thy servant in coming with 
thee was good, O noble Nicholas.” 

“Thou shalt be rewarded with a leg, at least,” 
said Nicholas. 

“ Thus satisfied with their foraging expedition, 
they carried the animal between them till they came 
within a short distance of the refuge, when they 
stopped to rest ; but, starting suddenly Chow said, 
“ Let us listen and both put their ears to the 
ground. “ Surely, it is plain, it is the trampling of a 
large party of horse,” replied Nicholas, rising to his 
feet and running up a steep hill, “ still there is no- 
thing to be seen, no living being — yet,” he added, 
“ it was the trampling of horses.” 

“ It can not be otherwise,” said Chow. 

“Let us haste, then, O Chow!” and leaving the 
carcass of the boar upon the ground, they ran till 
they reached the cavern. The camel and mules were 
gone — their worst fears were confirmed; and Nicholas 
ascended the stairs, followed by Chow, entered the 
room, when involuntarily placing his hand upon his 
IS 


THE WAE TIGER. 274 

forehead, as if to assist his astonished vision, he gave 
a scream of horror. 

As for Chow, for a minute his astonishment de- 
prived him of speech ; then, falling upon his face, he 
exclaimed, “ My beloved mother !” 

Well might they be horrified, for the princess and 
her attendant were absent ; the innkeeper, his wife 
and daughter, and the guide, were bound with cords 
and gagged, so that they could neither move nor speak. 

While Nicholas released the innkeeper, Chow per- 
formed a like office for the women, when they all fell 
upon the guide, thumping him with their fists, kick- 
ing him with their feet, and exclaiming, “ Thou rat, 
thou snake, thou shalt be strangled.” As for the 
miserable fellow, with his limbs bound and his mouth 
gagged, he could do nothing but roll his eyes at them. 
Then being released by Nicholas, he would have got 
upon his legs but for Chow, who threw him upon his 
back, and, stamping his foot upon his breast, cried, 
“Lie there, thou dog, for thou art the villain.” 

“ It is not so, Chow, or he would not himself be so 
bound and gagged,” said Nicholas. 

“ Nevertheless, he is the traitor ; he it was who 
brought the soldiers upon us, who discovered our re- 
treat,” said the innkeeper, giving the prostrate rogue 
another kick. 

“ Open thy lips, thou rascal ; say what has become 
of the two ladies, or I will slay thee,” said Nicholas. 

“ Speak, thou rogue,” said Chow, almost breathless 
with anxiety. 

“ Truly it was the misfortune and not the crime of 


TREACHERY OF THE GUIDE. 


275 


thy servant ; for had he not been chosen as thy guide, 
this tiling could not have happened,” replied the 
trembling fellow. 

“ Open thy lips to a purpose, thou rogue ; give me a 
clue to the track of these robbers, and thy life shall 
be spared,” said Nicholas, more anxious to rescue the 
princess than to punish the guide, who, gaining 
courage from the promise, said, “ Truly, then, the 
princess is on her way to the camp of the Emperor.” 

This was too much for Nicholas, who fell upon 
the man, and would have killed him, but for Chow, 
who, in his turn, becoming more calm, said, “Let 
the rogue earn his life by enabling us to follow these 
thieving rats.” 

Perceiving the wisdom of this, Nicholas removed 
his hand from the throat of the rogue, who said, 
“ Truly this is a heavy misfortune ; for till thy ser- 
vant left this place, he intended no mischief, when in 
the mountains he met with a party of soldiers, who 
have been pursuing us all the way from Kin-Chow 
for the purpose of earning the reward offered for the 
princess.” 

“ How is this possible, thou rogue ?” said Nicholas. 

“ On the day of the festival, these soldiers landed 
on their way to gather troops for the service of the 
Emperor Li, whom they were ordered to join on the 
borders of the province ; on the same day that thy 
outrage upon the person of my uncle, the innkeeper 
of Kin-Chow, was discovered, and the venerable man 
in his indignation told the soldiers that the princess, 
for whom so large a reward was offered, was on the 


276 


THE WAR TIGER. 


road to Lao-yang, accompanied by a woman, two 
youths, and his nephew, who might be known by the 
name of Leang, and who would, doubtless, w'hen he 
heard of the affront put upon his uncle, aid in cap- 
turing the whole party. The soldiers, anxious to 
obtain the reward, pressed forward with such haste, 
that, but for our crossing the platform, they would 
have overtaken us,” said the guide ; adding, “ And 
would that they had, for then thy servant would have 
been innocent.” 

“If innocent, then, thou rogue, what hath since 
caused thee to become a traitor,” said Nicholas. 

“ When the soldiers informed the nephew of the 
affront offered to his venerable uncle, how under 
heaven and the social laws could he refuse to aid in 
the punishment of such offenders ?” 

“ How came it, O thou great rogue, that the 
soldiers should repay thy great services with so 
much ingratitude?” 

“ Truly thy mean servant is not a god, that he can 
foresee the ingratitude of mankind.” 

“ These are dog’s words, O noble youth,” said the 
innkeeper ; adding, “ This fellow had promised the 
thieves to keep thee under some pretence till they 
came up, when they intended to have sold thee as a 
slave ; and finding that they had missed a portion of 
their expected prize, partly in their rage, and partly 
that the rogue should not claim a portion of the re- 
ward, they first beat and then left him as you found 
him, not doubting that upon your return you would 
kill so false a rascal.” 


TREACHERY OF THE GUIDE. 2TT 

Shall we not kill the traitor, who has stolen my 
beloved mother and the princess ?” said Chow, very 
fiercely. 

“ Truly we will do better — make him useful,” said 
Nicholas ; adding, “ Is the rogue certain that these 
soldiers have proceeded to Lao-yang ?” 

“ It must be so, for it is to that city the Emperor 
Li is marching to besiege the rebel Woo-san-Kwei,” 
said the guide. 

“ Thou rascal, to call so great a thief an emperor, 
and so great a general a rebel,” said Chow, menacing 
him with his fist ; adding, as he again bound his 
arms to his side, “ Thou shalt at least be in safe keep- 
ing till either the princess be discovered, or thy day 
arrives to be strangled.” 

The excitement past, then came despair. The 
soldiers had stolen the mules and camel ; it was, there- 
for-e, useless to attempt to overtake them, even if 
their numbers had been sufficiently large. What was 
to be done ? and they both sat with their heads upon 
their hands. Nothing! At length Nicholas said, 
“ Bring the rogue with us, we will seek the General 
W oo-san-Kwei.” 

“ The roads are dangerous, and may be filled with 
rebels,” said the innkeeper. 

“ Then must we fight our way through the ver- 
min,” said Nicholas. 

“ This rogue shall go before and get the first 
sword in his wretched body,” said Chow, jerking the 
rope by which he held the guide, whose teeth chat- 
tered together with terror at the notion. 


278 


THE WAR TIGER. 


Then telling the innkeeper where to find the dead 
boar, Nicholas bade him and his family farewell. 

“May the great Tien aid thee!” said the woman. 

“ Leave us thy name, O noble youth, that it may 
be marked on the memories of our descendants,” said 
the innkeeper. 

Nicholas took the man aside, and whispered in 
his ear. 

“It is a terrible name,” said the man, bowing his 
head to the ground. 

“ It is a good one, and the son wiU restore thee 
thy village, O worthy man, if the rebels take not his 
life,” said Nicholas. 

“The princess, the princess, and my beloved 
mother,” exclaimed Chow. 

“Are protected by Heaven till we rescue them 
from the hands of the villain Li,” said Nicholas, and 
they proceeded on their journey. 


ONCE MORE PRISONERS. 


279 


CHAPTER XXXVL 

?NCE MORE PRISONERS, BUT WITH FRIENDS. — THE 

guide’s mistake. 

With sorrowful hearts the two hoys took leave of 
he houseless family, and proceeded along the ridges 
of the mountains till they came to the entrance of a 
great wood. Chow had custody of the guide, whom 
he held by the rope, and pressed forward or jerked 
backward, as his sense of indignation at the loss of 
his mother arose or subsided. At times he would so 
slacken the rope that the man could scarcely feel his 
thraldom ; then again, when he thought of the hope- 
lessness of again recovering his mother, he would 
clench his teeth and pull it so violently, that the mis- 
erable guide would fall backward ; whereupon Chow 
would say, “ Get thee upon thy bamboo legs, thou 
rogue, or I will drag thee like a bale of demon’s 
goods, as thou art and the fat body of the coward 
would shake like a blanc-mange, rise upon its legs, 
and commence a trot, when, after a little while, Chow 
would give another tug at the rope, saying, as the 
man tottered backward, “O, thou wouldst escape, 
wouldst thou, thou mouse of fat measure, who hath 
Stolen the cream of our lives ?” 

“Truly thy servant has been mifort unate, O noble 


280 


THE WAR TIGER. 


youth, yet if his body is shaken like a jelly of cold 
soup, he cannot guide thee through this city of trees.” 

“ The rogue’s words are good, Chow, we cannot 
find our way through these trees without his aid,” said 
Nicholas ; adding, “ Fasten the rope around thy arm, 
so that he cannot slip from thy hands.” 

“ Truly the advice of my master is good,” said 
Chow; and as they were then passing through a 
thick copse, he fastened the rope around his own 
body, saying, ‘‘Now, thou rat, honesty will for once 
reverse things, and take its place behind roguery, for 
surely I hear footsteps, and should they be those of 
thieves, thy thick head may serve to blunt the points 
of their arrows.” 

The sounds were unmistakable, and the guide fell 
backward, trembling so violently that he could not 
walk, till, taking hold of his shoulders, Chow pushed 
him forward, saying, “ On, thou coward, on ;” and so 
they went along the narrow path, till the sounds be- 
came more distinct. Then a voice shouted to them, 
“stop!” when, trembling more than ever, the guide 
threw one shoulder backward, and one foot forward, 
in order to prop himself against the propelling Chow, 
at the same time exclaiming, “ Stay, O generous 
youth, — for the love of Fo, stay! — or the body of 
thy servant will become a cushion for arrow-heads.” 
^ “ Silence, thou dog,” said Nicholas ; adding in a 
whisper to Chow, “ Let us remain quiet, for doubt- 
less it is some thief.” 

Then came the twang of a bow, and an arrow flew 
by, in its flight clipping the ear of the miserable 



A 


t 




> . 








>• 



Nicholas and Chow taken Prisoners. 

Page 280. 


4 








ONCE MORE PRISONERS. 


281 


guide, who, now fairly frightened out of his senses, 
twisted round like a teetotum, and fell upon the 
ground, carrying Chow with him, exclaiming, “These 
are the thieves, these are the thieves, O honorable 
war tiger.” 

And before Chow had disengaged himself from 
the rogue, they were all three dragged into an open 
glade, where they found themselves surrounded by a 
party of cavalry, the guide upon the ground tremb- 
ling, and Nicholas and Chow with their arms folded 
defiantly. 

“ Who are the dogs ? what their names, surnames, 
and rank?” said the ofiicer. 

“Travelers who have no fear of rebel rogues,” 
replied Nicholas dauntlessly, believing them to be 
troops of Li-Kong. 

“Take my life, but save that of my venerable 
mother,” said Chow, in a similar belief. 

“These rogues are robbers, who w'ould take a 
faithful and valiant subject of the great Emperor Li- 
Kong a prisoner to the town of the thief Woo-san- 
Kwei,” said the guide, jumping upon his feet, with a 
most warhke mien, knowing that if with the soldier’s 
of Li-Kong he was with friends. 

“What means the slave? Who art thou, thou 
empty rice tub ?” said the officer. 

“ It may please the fierce tiger of war to be amus- 
ed at the person of his servant ; but if he be a rice- 
tub, he can serve the Emperor.” 

“Emperor! — what Emperor, thou ox?” said the 
officer. 


282 


THE WAR TIGER. 


“ The great Li, — may he live ten thousand 
years.” 

“ Thy name, surname, and rank ?” said the officer. 

“The mean name of thy insignificant servant is 
Leang, and he is the unworthy nephew of Ling, the 
innkeeper, of Kin-Chow,” replied the guide, not 
doubting that he was in the hands of rebel troopers. 

“Then truly, Leang, the unworthy nephew of Ling, 
is a dangerous though a comical rogue.” 

“ The noble tiger of war is pleased ” 

“ To have thee strangled with thine own girdle for 
being a follower of the great thief Li-Kong,” said 
the officer; adding, as he turned to his soldiers, 
“Let this be done.” 

At this unexpected result, the terribly mistaken 
guide’s face became paler and longer, and falling 
upon his knees, he said, “ Let the magnificent com- 
mander be generous to an insignificant and withered 
mouse, who is nothing but a poor and faithful guide, 
as these noble youths, whom he hath conducted all 
the way from Kin-Chow to the town of the great 
Woo-san-Kwei, can testify.” 

“ Bend thy neck at the name of the great prince, 
thou rogue,” said the officer, striking him on the 
back with his sword, and the guide fell flat — that is, 
as nearly so as his protuberant stomach would per- 
mit — when the officer added laughingly, “ Truly the 
animal is fat enough to kill at once ; yet, as the rebels 
may cause us a siege so long that we may be short 
of provender for our horses, let him be kept in 
a strong cage till that time arrives ;” then beckoning 


I 


ONCE MORE PRISONERS. 283 

to a soldier, the latter seized the horrified guide and 
tied him before him on his saddle. 

Then turning to Nicholas and Chow, who, i;iotwith- 
standing their serious position, had been laughing 
heartily at the merited misery of the guide, the 
officer said, “ Are the rogue’s words truth ? Do my 
brothers seek the presence of the great Woo-san- 
Kwei?” Then when Nicholas had related to the 
officer the whole of their adventures from Kin-Chow) 
alone prudentially keeping back the fact that the lady 
of high rank was the princess, he said, “ What were 
^the numbers of these rogues ?” 

“ There could have been no less than twenty, O 
noble commander,” said Nicholas. 

Then turning to his second-in-command, the officer 
said, ‘‘ Let the rogue of a guide be kept tied before 
thee on thy saddle, O Ching ; take fifty horsemen, 
and return not to the camp till thou bringest these 
ladies with thee. If the rogue of a guide directs thee 
so that thou art successful, he shall be rewarded ; if 
not, strangled.” 

“ Will not the noble commander let these horsemen 
be placed under the charge of his younger brother, 
who truly hath the greater right to bring these 
rogues to punishment ?” said Nicholas, imploringly. 

“ This may not be, my brother ; for, although I 
doubt not thy honesty, it would be at the risk of my 
life that I let thee pass from my sight till thou hadst 
been taken before the prince.” 

Although vexed that the chance of rescuing the 
princess, and punishing the soldiers who had made 


284 


THE WAR TIGER. 


her prisoner, had been denied to him, Nicholas felt 
too well pleased at the slightest possibility of her 
being rescued, to complain ; and, therefore, without 
another word, the boys followed the troops upon 
their march to Lao-yang, not by any means regretting 
that they had fallen into the hands of this foraging 
party of Woo-san-Kwei’s army. 


t 


INTERVIEW WITH THE GENERAL. 285 


CHAPTER XXXYH. 

INTERVIEW WITH THE GENERAL. ^NICHOLAS CAUSES 

SOLDIERS TO BE SENT IN SEARCH OF THE PRINCESS. 

Unlike any place Xicholas had seen since he left 
his father’s fleet, Lao-yang exhibited sure signs of 
the determination and energy of its commanders. 
Surrounded by a deep ditch of great width, its formid- 
able walls were manned at every point with the 
picked and most disciplined men from the northern 
provinces — soldiers who had been fighting for many 
years against the invading Tartars — and armed to the 
teeth with swords, cross-bows, shields, helmets, and 
breast and back plates. At short distances were 
planted small brass cannon, or bombards, which, 
although they had been set aside for so many years 
that the art of using them had become forgotten, Woo- 
san-Kwei had not only brought again into use, but 
taught his troops to serve eflectually. Then, again, 
although the matchlock men were fewer than upon 
the walls of Pekin, they had been so well exercised in 
the use of that weapon that they could handle it 
nearly as well as bows and arrows, — a great mat- 
ter at that period, as you will understand when I tell 
you that some few years previously, when matchlocks 
were first introduced, to defend a frontier town 


286 


THE WAR TIGER. 


against the Tartars, the latter were so much aston- 
ished at a weapon which possessed the magic power 
of slaying them at so great a distance, that they fled 
in dismay, when, making a sortie, or onset, the Chi- 
nese destroyed many thousands. The next assault, 
however, the Tartars provided their front ranks with 
shields of wood, so large and thick, that they were as 
safe from bullets, as they would have been behind 
walls, consequently the fire of the Chinese proved 
useless ; moreover, before they could reload, the 
second rank of the Tartars scaled the walls and fell 
upon them so quickly, that even those who had time 
to load handled their pieces so clumsily and nervously 
that the rebound knocked them over, and the whole 
garrison were killed. This afiair so disgusted the 
Chinese with the matchlock, that henceforward they 
kept it more as a matter of show, or to use when there 
was no chance of coming to close quarters, than as a 
regular weapon of war. 

With greater foresight, the General Woo-san- 
Kwei had not only re-adopted the weapon, but, by 
incessant practice, and offerings of rewards and pro- 
motion to those who exhibited peculiar dexterity, 
he succeeded in forming a good body of matchlock 
men. 

When they had passed through the gates, the offi- 
cer left Nicholas and Chow to amuse themselves as 
best they might, while he proceeded to report the ar- 
rival of himself and his prisoners (for in that light he 
regarded them) to the prince general. 

Had Nicholas entrusted his name, or that of the 


INTERVIEW WITH THE GENERAL. 287 


princess, to the officer, there can he no doubt that 
the general would have granted him an immediate in- 
terview; as it was, he had to wait till the following 
day. Previously, however, to seeking the audience, 
he went to the great square, where, to his surprise, 
he saw a large body of troops drawn out under arms, 
with their banners and wind instruments, as if to re- 
ceive some important personage, and officers were 
galloping to and fro between the palace and the great 
gates. The meaning of all this puzzled him. Truly 
it would be unfortunate if Woo-san-Kwei should be 
about to take his departure upon some expedition. 
The riddle, was, however, soon explained; for, even 
while he was pondering, the general’s own body- 
guard passed to the gate ; when, drawing themselves 
up on either side, a noble-looking horseman, followed 
by a train of some twenty others, rode into the city, 
and was escorted to the palace ; but, great as this 
personage evidently was, the Chinese soldiers kept a 
dread and sullen silence, making no movement ex- 
cept to involuntarily clutch the triggers of their 
pieces, or the strings of their bows. As for Nicholas, 
he stared with astonishment, grasped the hilt of his 
sword — the sight was indeed extraordinary. A 
Mantchou prince and his train of Tartars, those most 
dreaded enemies of the empire, within the very pal- 
ace of the barbarian-subduing general, not in chains, 
but as a friend, received with honor. 

Indignant at the sight, Nicholas rudely grasped 
the arm of a soldier, saying, “ Can my brother tell a 
stranger how it is that such barbarian thieves aro 


288 


THE WAR TIGER. 


within these walls ? Surely the kid does not invite 
the wolf to its own bosom !” 

“Would my brother keep his head upon his 
shoulders and not be thrown from the walls like a 
dead rat, he will not seek to know the barbarian-ex- 
terminating general’s secrets,” said the surly soldier; 
adding, however, directly afterward, “The Tartar 
dogs may have come to offer their submission.” 

Whatever might have been the business of the 
Tartar prince with the Chinese general, it did not last 
an hour, for in less than that time he left the city, 
and shortly after the officer who had brought Nicho- 
las into .the town conducted him to the presence of 
the general, who, in full military costume, surround- 
ed by a great number of officers, was standing (a rare 
thing for a Chinese grandee) at a table, busily en- 
gaged in examining some papers. 

Having performed the same ceremony of running 
up the middle of the apartment, and bowing to the 
ground, as at an audience of the Emperor, he awaited 
the command of the prince to rise, which being given, 
’ Woo-san-Kwei no sooner saw his features than he 
said, “ This is indeed a fortunate day, that brings to 
us the son of Chin-Chi-Loong. Thy presence, bold 
youth, is welcome ; yet,” he added sternly, “ so brave 
a servant should have died defending his imperial 
master.” 

“The silken voice of the illustrious general is 
music to his servant, whose words must not fall into 
the ears of all,” replied Nicholas, glancing at the 
officers around. 


INTERVIEW WITH THE GENERAL. 289 

“ This is but wisdom, youth,” replied the prince, 
motioning to the officers to withdraw from the apart- 
ment, after which he said, “ Let the noble youth 
open his lips whereupon Nicholas gave a faithful 
recital of his adventures from the time that Woo-san- 
Kwei had himself left Pekin for the army. During the 
recital, the general listened attentively, at intervals 
giving vent to exclamations of surprise, rage, or appro- 
val. When, however, Nicholas related the escape of 
the princess, he said, warmly, “Noble youth, thy wis- 
dom, like thy bravery, is beyond thy years ; and when 
these rebel dogs have been swept from the earth, thou 
shalt have the kingdom that thy father seeketh.” Then, 
, when the enthusiasm of the moment had passed, be- 
thinking himself, he said, “But truly the servant of 
the Mings forgets his duty to the daughter of his 
murdered Emperor ; lead me to her, O youth.” 

Then Nicholas, for the first time in his life, trem- 
bled ; an arrow through his heart would have been 
more welcome than that command, and falling upon 
his knees, as if he had betrayed a sacred trust, he 
said, “ These words should be my last, O general. 
The princess is in the power of the rebel Li-Kong.” 

So like a thunder-clap did these words fall upon the 
mind of the Woo-san-Kwei, that for a moment he 
was speechless, but recovering himself, he said, 
“ Thou dog, if these words are true thou shalt die 
but becoming calmer, he commanded Nicholas to 
finish his story, and when the youth had brought it 
up to the moment of the audience, the general said, 
“Thou art, indeed, a brave youth; but this rogue 
19 


290 


THE WAR TIGER. 


Leang, knows he the road the woman thieves took?” 
Then, however, without waiting for an aiiswer, and 
knowing that action was more likely to recover the 
princess and her attendant than useless sorrow or 
anger, he ordered the attendance of one of his officers, 
telling him to send out parties of soldiers in different 
directions in search of the princess. 

Then Nicholas fell upon his knees, and prayed to 
lead the party himself. 

“This cannot be, brave youth, for thou art too 
serviceable to have thy person risked in a province 
so wild that no stranger can journey through without 
a guide.” 

“Then, O illustrious prince, thy servant dares not 
meet the heavenly eyes of the Prince Yong-Li, in 
whose service he has undertaken this long journey,” 
said Nicholas. 

“ Truly it was an unfortunate day for the son of 
W 00 when he fell under the displeasure of the young 
Emperor, his royal master,” said the general, 
gloomily. 

“ Can it be under heaven that Yong Li has forgot- 
ten the great services of his most illustrious general ?” 

“ Such is his servant’s misfortune,” said the general. 

“Then,” said Nicholas, “let thy servant seek the 
V'oung Emperor, and upon his knees pray of him to 
open his heavenly ears to the fragrant advice of the 
great W oo-san-K wei. ’ ’ 

“ This cannot be, for his majesty [may he continue 
the circle of successio 7 it) has left Lao-yang in anger.” 

“ This, then, is indeed an unfortunate day, O my 


INTERVIEW WITH THE GENERAL. 291 


general,” said Nicholas, with astonishment ; adding. 

Surely the cause must have been great for so much 
anger from so mild a prince.” 

“ Let the noble youth open his ears, and he shall 
hear how this calamity fell out,” said the general ; 
adding, “ When his majesty, after the death of his 
father, so happily escaped the hands of the great 
thief Li, he fled to the army of his servant, and desired 
that the whole of the Tartar-subduing arm^ of Leao- 
tong should be immediately led to Pekin for the pur- 
pose of destroying the rebels. Alas ! the grief of the 
prince had destroyed his reason; the plan was not 
possible, for in my absence the barbarians would have 
overrun the northern province. W ell, for a time the 
prince submitted to his servant’s advice, till one day 
an envoy arrived from the dog Li, who commanded 
me to proclaim him Emperor throughout the prov- 
ince, oflering, as the price of my obedience, a king- 
dom ; threatening, if I refused, to march against this 
city with a million of men.” 

“ The illustrious general could make but one an- 
swer to so infamous a proposal,” said Nicholas. 

“ And that was to offer a reward of ten thousand 
taels to the brave man who should lay the head of so 
black a dragon at my'feet,” said the general ; adding, 
“ Soon after came the news that Li was on his 
march, with a vast army, to chastise me for the insult, 
and I began to prepare to receive him ; but, finding 
that the number of my troops was so small that the 
multitudinous army of the rebels would hew them to 
pieces in the first battle, rather than suffer such a dis- 


292 


THE WAR TIGER. 


grace, and permit so vile a criminal to remain unpin- 
ished, I dared to propose to make peace with the 
Tartar king conditionally, that he would help me 
to drive this rogue from the land. This proposition 
was indignantly resisted by the prince, when (may I 
be pardoned for so daring an act) I became but the 
more resolved, and immediately sent a special envoy 
to the Tartar, who, in return, sent by his brother, the 
great Amavan, a promise to add to my little army 
one hundred thousand of his bravest troops. Scarce- 
ly, however, had a day elapsed after the departure of 
my envoy to the Tartar, then the royal Yong-Li left 
the city in anger.” 

“ Truly, general, the prince was wise, for although 
in war and council all men are mice by the side of the 
great Woo-san-Kwei, surely in this his wisdom must 
have failed him, for, O general, is it reasonable to 
bring in tigers to chase away dogs ?” said Nicholas, 
warmly. 

To which Woo-san-Kwei made no reply, but ter- 
minated the aud'cnce to keep down his anger. 


A BATTLE. 


293 


CHAPTER XXXVm. 

CRUEL DEATH OP THE AGED WOO. A BATTLE. 

BRAVERY OF THE BOYS. CHOW TAKEN BY THE 

ENEMY. 

With terrible anxiety, Nicholas awaited the re- 
turn of the party sent in search of the princess, but 
when evening came and they brought not the slight- 
est clue, his grief grew beyond all bounds, and he re- 
solved to seek the general’s permission to go himself 
in search, but, as on the following day, a deserter 
from the enemy brought news that the main body of 
the rebels was within a few miles of Lao-yang, he 
was compelled to remain with Woo-san-Kwei, at least 
till the enemy had been destroyed or beaten back 
from whence they came. 

Then terrible preparations were made for a close 
fight, in the event of the enemy assaulting the town 
before the arrival of the Tartars ; but when Li-Kong 
came in sight, with an army so vast that it covered 
the country for miles, the hearts of Woo-san-Kwei’s 
troops grew faint, for should the Tartars deceive 
them, they were lost, for against such numbers it was 
impossible they could hold out many days. Still, the 
greatest coward grew courageous when he thought 
of the merciless cruelty of Li, knowing it would be a 


294 : 


THE WAR TIGER. 


fur more easy death to fall upon the walls than into 
his hands, and so for days they held out bravely 
against the attacks which had now become incessant. 
Then, through the continued efforts, both by day and 
night, made by the two youths, to sustain the courage 
of the troops, the latter recovered their spirits, and 
so gallantly did the boys help in repelling the assail- 
ants, that they were praised by the general in front 
of the whole army. 

Fourteen days had they defended the town, when 
the provisions became so scarce, that, again losing 
hope, the troops grew mutinous and threatened to 
throw down their arms, when, upon the fifteenth, 
upon a hill that ar<^se far behind the rebel army, there 
shot up to the heavens a vast body of blue fire, upon , 
which, forgetting their troubles, the soldiers became 
frantic with joy, offered thanks to Fo, and returned 
to their duties with renewed energy ; and no wonder, 
for it was the signal that the Tartars were on their 
march to relieve them. 

Li-Kong must also have understood the signal, for 
from the moment of its appearance one-half of his 
army began to manoeuvre, so as to present a good front 
to the new enemy, while the other commenced a fierce 
assault upon the town. Seeing assistance at hand,W oo- 
san-Kwei ordered his troops to reserve their arrows 
and ammunition till their ally had so weakened the 
enemy’s rear that he could judiciously leave the town, 
and attack them in front. When, however, the be- 
sieged slackened fire, the assaulting party retired, 
and a body of their cavalry, holding their great 


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The aged Woo brought in chains before the wails. 

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A BATTLE. 


295 


shields before them to receive stray arrows, rode for- 
ward to within half a bow-shot from the walls, when 
they came to a dead halt. 

“ What mean the dogs ? surely they escort an 
envoy from the rash rebel,” said the general, com- 
manding silence along the walls ; and then ordering 
one of his officers to shout to the party, that they 
might remove their shields without fear. 

This having been done, the men let fall their shields, 
when the sight that presented itself caused the brave 
general to reel, so that he would have fallen but for 
the support of Nicholas. As for Chow, he placed 
an arrow in his bow, and would have sent it flying at 
the chief of the party, had not an officer struck the 
arrow from its rest, saying, “ How, wouldst thou dis- 
obey the general?” and brought to his senses, the 
boy stood stamping his feet, gnashing his t^eth, and 
twitching the bow with suppressed rage. Well 
might the sight cause such consternation on the part 
of the general, for there upon horseback, heavily 
laden with chains, sat his father the venerable Woo, 
with his long gray hair flowing down his bared neck, 
accompanied by an executioner, who stood by his side, 
holding a naked sabre. 

“ What would the General Li-Kong with Woo-san- 
Kwei, that he thus humbles him?” said Woo- 
san-Kwei. 

“Let the venerable Woo answer the question of 
his rebel son,” said the chief of the party. 

Then with a glance of fierce defiance at his guards, 
the old noble said, “ It is well known, O my son, that 


296 


THE WAR TIGER. 


the heavens, earth, and fate cause strange vicissitudes 
of fortune; even so have they deposed the Emperor 
Wey-t-song, and placed in his royal seat the Emperor 
Li-Kong, who, if thou wilt make a virtue of neces- 
sity, acknowledge his dominion, and serve him as a 
faithful tributary, will confer upon thee the title and 
dignity of a king ; but if thou refusest submission, 
the head of thy parent will be the penalty. Such are 
the words the aged Woo hath been commanded to 
deliver ; it is now for his brave son to consider what 
he oweth to him who gave him life.” 

So great was the indignation of the troops of Woo- 
san-Kwei, that but for the danger of Woo, whbm 
the rebels had placed in their front, they would have 
shot down the whole party. As for the general, he 
stood for some minutes bewildered ; had it been his 
rank, fortune, or life, that was in danger, his filial 
love would have prevented an instant’s hesitation ; 
but was he not the son of a man whose whole life 
had been dedicated to the people ? alas ! this know- 
ledge made his agony the greater ; for the better the 
man, the greater reason his life should be saved at 
any cost. At any? No — not at the cost of his 
honor, and the safety of the people, whom this Li- 
Kong was decimating hourly. 

With terrible patience the chief of the party await- 
ed a reply. It was given. Woo-san-Kwei fell upon 
his knees. “ Pardon, O my venerable and noble pa- 
rent,” said he aloud, “ but it is not under heaven that 
thou couldst wish thy son to do this thing ; if it be 
so, let this be the answer : He that is not faithful to 


A BATTLE. 


297 


the people will never he faithful to his son ; therefore, 
if you forget your duty and fidelity to the imperial 
family, and the people, by demanding that tliy son 
should be guilty of so great a crime, no man will 
blame Woo-san-Kwei for forgetting his duty and 
obedience to such a father?’ Then, turning to the 
chief, the general added sternly, “ Take back these 
words, thou dog: That the son of the venerable Woo 
will die the dog’s death rather than acknowledge so 
great and cruel a thief as this Li-Kong.” 

“ These are fragrant words, O my noble son ; for 
hadst thou been guilty of so monstrous a crime, the 
names both of father and son would have sounded 
hateful in the ears of posterity : the father, that he 
had brought up a son so basely ; and the son, that he 
could save so bad a parent,” replied the venerable 
noble. 

“ Shall it go down to posterity that the noble Woo- 
san-Kwei was the assassin of his parent ?” said the 
chief of the party. 

“ Thou hast thy answer, dog, and if thou art with- 
in bow-shot longer than the next five minutes thy 
miserable life shall be the forfeit,” said the general ; 
adding sorrowfully, “ Farewell, O my venerable pa- 
rent. May the great Tien pardon me, if I have not 
chosen virtuously.” 

“ Thy choice, O noble son, will make happy the 
last moments of thy father,” said the old noble ; 
when, interrupting him, the rebel chief said, “ Still 
thou shalt have another chance to save this old man’s 
life, thou obstinate rebel ; adding, “ I will grant thee 


298 


THE WAR TIGER. 


another hour, and if within that time a fire is made 
upon your walls, I shall take it as the token of your 
submission ; but if at the end of the hour such a sig- 
nal has not been 'made, then shall a similar signal 
from the Emperor’s camp proclaim thy parent to be 
on his journey to the yellow stream.” 

After this the party hastened back to their camp, 
leaving the agonized general standing in melancholy 
thoughtfulness, till just as the fifth minute expired his 
attention was called to a small party of horsemen, 
who, led by Nicholas and Chow, were at full gallop 
after the envoy. It was rashness, nay, madness, for 
they were rushing upon the very outposts of the ene- 
my, and nothing less than a miracle could save the 
foolish youths ; when, turning to an officer, he cried, 
“ Haste thee with what horse you can collect to the 
rescue of those foolish boys.” 

The order was obeyed, and some two hundred 
horse galloped forward, and reached them in time to 
save Nicholas alone ; as for Chow, having recognized 
in the chief of the party the mandarin who had slain 
his father, he had galloped greatly beyond his own 
party, when the mandarin, fearing for the safe cus- 
tody of Woo, pressed forward with such haste, that, 
getting far ahead of his own party, Chow found him- 
self a prisoner before he knew where he was. En- 
raged at his danger, Nicholas would have followed, 
but for the soldiers sent by Woo-san-Kwei, who, 
coming* up to him, caught hold of the rein of his 
horse, and in the name of the general commanded 
him to return to the city. By the time, however, he 


A BATTLE. 


299 


returned to the town, Woo-san-Kwei had determined 
to make a dash at the rebels with a faint hope of 
saving his father, — a hope that was not unreasonable, 
especially as the advanced guards of the Tartars 
were now seen to attack Li-Kong from the opposite 
side. The little army was ready ; the general was at 
their head ; but before they had marched far, a bright 
flame shot up from the camp of Li-Kong. The head 
of Woo-san-Kwei fell upon the neck of his horse; he 
sobbed aloud, “ The assassin has taken thy life, my 
noble parent but arousing himself, he added, “ For 
this one deed, O thou villain, thou shalt be hunted 
from the land and so great were the numbers of 
the Tartars, and the bravery of Woo-san-Kwei and 
his little army, that before midnight Li-Kong had 
been driven from his position with the loss of at least 
one-half of his great power. 


soo 


THE WAR TIGER. 


CHAPTER XXXIX. 

THE REBELS BEATEN. ARTFULNESS OF THE TARTAR 

KING. — CHAGRIN AND DISAPPOINTMENT OF NICHOLAS. 

At daybreak the battle was resumed ; and wdth 
such terrible bravery did the troops of Woo-san- 
Kwei and his ally the Tartar king fight, that before 
noon the rebels fled in all directions ; the matin body, 
under Li himself, retreating into the province of Pe- 
tche-Lee, where for many weeks they were followed 
by the Tartars ; and although the latter beat Li in 
every engagement, and slew vast numbers of his 
troops, he managed so cleverly that he reached Pe- 
kin ; which city being well fortified and manned by 
his adherents, he held out till the Tartars were rein- 
forced by many thousands of their brethren, who, 
now that the ancient barrier of Leao-tong had been 
broken, flooded the empire like a mighty torrent. 
Then Li, brave and able as he really was, saw the ne- 
cessity of retreating from the capital. To do this 
with profit to himself, the artful rogue placed the whole 
of his troops upon and before the northern walls ; 
by this means he kept the soldiers employed and the 
enemy at bay at least eight days and nights, during 
which time his more immediate friends and faithful 
followers were engaged in carrying from the imperial 


THE REBELS BEATEN". 


301 


palace the vast treasures of jewels, gold, and silver, 
collected by the Ming Emperors during the preceding 
two hundred and eighty years, with which they es- 
caped to Si-gnan, in the province of Chen-si. Then, 
when the Tartar army entered the capital, although 
terribly chagrined at the loss of so much treasure, 
they did but follow Li-Kong a short distance, when 
they gave up the pursuit and returned to Pekin, 
greatly to the vexation of Woo-san-Kwei, who, as 
you will see, soon found that his new friends were as 
bad as his old enemies. 

]S"o sooner was Li-Kong expelled, than Woo-san- 
Kwei proclaimed the Prince Yong-Li Emperor, and 
offered to pay the Tartar king an immense sum for 
the use of his army, at the same time respectfully 
begging he would withdraw his troops from the em- 
pire, as it was contrary to the sacred books that so 
many foreigners should remain in the sacred capital ; 
to which polite request the Tartar made an equally 
polite reply: “We do not,” said he, think it fit to 
leave yet, for there are many unsubdued thieves who 
may cause as much trouble as this Li-Kong ; more- 
over, this arch-rebel is himself established in his 
province, and would doubtless return if he found that 
we, whom alone he fears, had quitted China ; there- 
fore, O noble Woo-san-Kwei, we are resolved to fol- 
low up our victory, and exterminate every rogue in 
the land, so that you may deliver the empire to Yong- 
Li in full peace and prosperity ; as for the payment 
for our services, we are not poor, and can wait till 
the kingdom be settled. In the mean time, however, 


302 


THE-. WAR TIGER. 


that which we chiefly desire is, that the great Woo- 
san-Kwei shall recruit his armyfli'om our own, and pro- 
ceed to Chen-si to destroy the dog Li, while we, with 
our brave Tartars, will endeavor to sweep from the 
southern provinces the rogues and thieves who are 
now settled therein.” 

Deeply chagrined that he had replaced dogs with 
tigers, Woo-san-Kwei could do nothing but obey — 
for in reality it was a command ; and so he pro- 
ceeded into Chen-si, accompanied by Nicholas, where, 
after a campaign of many months, he succeeded in 
destroying the power and army of Li-Kong; as for 
the rogue himself, as his body was not found, it was 
supposed that he had been killed, while endeavoring 
to escape in the disguise of a private soldier. 

Throughout the campaign in Chen-si, Nicholas 
had fought with terrible energy, for he had hoped 
that when they took possession of Li-Kong’ s palace, 
he should obtain at least some clue to the fate of 
the princess and Chow, both of whom, if alive, he 
believed to be in the power of the rebels. As, how- 
ever, notwithstanding the highest rewards and the 
most vigorous search, he failed in gaining the slight- 
est clue, he felt greatly pleased when they returned 
to Pekin, where he was not without hope that the 
princess might be concealed, and if so, she was safe ; 
for doubtlessly, by the time they reached the city, 
their Tartar allies would, according to their promise, 
have proclaimed her brother, the Prince Yong-Li, 
Emperor. 

So great and popular had been . the successes of 


THE REBELS BEATEN. 


303 


Woo-san-Kwei in Chen-si, that as he rode toward 
Pekin the people came out, and falling upon , their 
knees, almost worshiped him as the restorer of peace 
and order. About midway between Chen-si and 
Pekin, they were met by the great officers of the Tar- 
tar king, who brought with them a vast body of 
troops, in order to augment the state of the general’s 
triumphal entrance into the capital. jSTow this was 
very gratifying to Nicholas, for seeing the Tartars 
pay so much respect to the great Ming general, he 
doubted less than ever that, like faithful friends, if they 
had not already done so, they would speedily restore 
Yong-Lito his throne — a gratification which was con- 
siderably heightened, when, at the gates of the city, 
they were met by a procession of great officers, both 
Tartars and Chinese, who, in the name of the Emperor, 
greeted Woo-san-Kwei with the title of King of 
Chen-si; so with difficulty the procession passed 
through the masses of people, whose hoarse voices 
clamored, “Long life, ten thousand years, to the 
Emperor.” 

“ This, then,” thought Nicholas, “ is indeed a fortu- 
nate day ; for not only have these brave Tartars re- 
stored the Prince Yong-Li to his right, but the amiable 
prince commences his reign by an act of gratitude ; 
for, forgetting his quarrel with Woo-san-Kwei, he re- 
wards his great services with the kingdom of Chen- 
si.” Thus they rode onward till they came to the 
palace, where the Emperor was waiting to do honor 
to the great general. 

Then, as Nicholas passed through the courts of 


304 


THE WAR TIGER. 


the palace, he stared with surprise, not unmixed with 
indignation, at the disproportion of the numbers of 
Chinese to those of the Tartars. Yet again, surely 
it was but gratitude on the part of the young Em- 
peror to reward those who had restored him to the 
throne of his ancestors ; still a strange fear crept over 
hjm, and he said, almost in a whisper, “ Truly, O 
illustrious prince, these barbarians have taken posses- 
sion of the empire.” 

“ It is as wise, O youth, to make a virtue of neces- 
sity, as it is childish to resist the decrees of fate,” 
said the general ; and then a pang of disappointment 
shot through the youth’s heart ; his illusion vanished ; 
moreover, he would have given his life to have avoid- 
ed the scene before him. They had entered the great 
hall of audience; there, upon the golden dragon 
throne, surrounded by the warrior princes and chiefs 
of Mantchouria, sat the Emperor. The Emperor, 
indeed ! not Yong-Li, but a Tartar child of six years 
of age. Heartsick, enraged, he would have spoken. 
The general perceiving his misery, clutched his arm. 
Nicholas checked his impatience, but nevertheless 
muttered, Surely the heavens will fall, for the great 
Woo-san-Kwei has proved a traitor.” 


THE BOY EMPEROil. 


805 


CHAPTER XL. 

THE GREAT BOY EMPEROR. NICHOLAS MEETS WITH 

A FEARFUL SURPRISE. 

Once having entered the rich empire of China, the 
Tartar king determined to remain, and thus artfully 
sent Woo-san-Kwei, the only man he feared, to chas- 
tise the rebels in Chen-si, so that he could the better 
introduce more and more of the warrior tribes be- 
neath his rule : moreover, he was so cruel to those 
who resisted his army, and so generous and kind to 
those who submitted freely, that the people, glad to 
get a sovereign who had power enough to crush the 
rapacious nobles, unanimously hailed him Emperor ; 
before, however, he could be formally installed, he 
became seized with a mortal illness, so, calling his 
brother Amavan, he created him regent during the 
minority of his son Chun-ti, a child six years of age. 

Fortunately for the young Emperor, Amavan, 
unlike most Asiatic uncles, proved faithful to his 
nephew, and, more fortunately still, Amavan hap- 
pened to be a great as well as a brave man, who 
conquered his enemies as much by his intellect as 
his sword. Taking care, therefore, to have an over- 
whelming number of troops in Pekin, he first sought 
to establish the government by distributing the great 
20 


306 


THE WAR TIGER. 


offices of the empire equally amoug his Tartars and 
the Chinese mandarins. Then to Woo-san-Kwei he 
had represented by his ambassadors the folly of en- 
deavoring to oppose the great power of the new Em- 
peror, and, moreover, the cruelty of bringing upon 
the people the horrors of a civil war ; while, if he 
would aid in the firm settlement of the new dynasty, 
he should not only be created King of Chen-si, but 
that, as the laws of the Chinese w^ere the best in the 
world, the Tartars should conform to them in every 
respect. To all of which Woo-san-Kwei, being so 
entirely checkmated, could but submit, retaining a 
hope that the time and opportunity might come when 
he should be powerful enough to drive these Tartars 
from the land — a task which, when too late, he found 
to be rather more difficult than bringing them in. 

Having thus, as he thought, gained over the Ming 
general to his cause, and wishing to give the Chinese 
a proof that the young Emperor wished to conciliate 
them, Amavan resolved that the greatest of their 
countrymen should be received on his entry into Pe- 
kin with royal honors ; and more, that the same day 
should be the one chosen for his imperial nephew’s 
first grand levee. 

I will now return to Nicholas, who, with hardly 
suppressed indignation, was compelled to witness the 
following scene. 

Having commanded the great lords, who were 
prostrate at the foot of his throne, to rise, the child 
Emperor Chun-ti addressed them in a speech that 
not only astonished the whole court, but remains to 


THE BOY EMPEROR. 307 

the present day one of the marvels in the history of 
China. 

“It is your strength and power more than my 
felicity, my dear and generous uncle, and you, the 
rest of my noble commanders, which supports my 
weakness, and makes me so undauntedly ascend this 
imperial throne. My present assurance, and this 
chair's stability, is, I hope, as happy a sign of my 
future prosperity as its tottering proved unfortunate 
to the thief Li-Kong. You see my first step to the 
empire, but I know your valor to be such that I look 
not only upon the kingdom of China as my own, but 
conceive the empire of the world not only by me 
possessed, but also established. The rewards due to 
such incomparable virtues shall be no other than the 
riches of the empire and royal dignities.” 

At this extraordinary speech from the lips of so 
young a child, and which, notwithstanding the 
silence of solemn historians on the subjects, I believe 
must have been taught Master Chun-ti by his uncle, 
the artful Amavan, the nobles fell upon their faces, 
as thankfully as a flock of famished wolves at the 
sight of a good meal after a run of a great many 
hundreds of miles. 

After which the Emperor added, “And that it 
may be known throughout the empire that we can 
reward merit, whether it be found in our Chinese 
subjects or our own black-haired race, we bestow 
upon the rebel-subduing Prince Woo-san-Kwei, the 
title of Pacifier of the Western World, and the dig- 
nity and rank of King of Chen-si ; may his appoint- 


308 


THE WAR TIGER. 


ment prove fortunate to the people;” Whereupon, 
to the disgust of Nicholas, the Ming general knelt 
before the Emperor, and holding his hands above his 
head, received the golden box, in which were placed 
the sjnnbols of his office. 

After this Nicholas was pained not only to witness 
the bestowal of high offices upon the Tartar chief- 
tains, but, for worse, the acceptation of dignities by 
Chinese mandarins, who had been profuse in their 
professions of loyalty to the Ming family. Then, as 
the Emperor was about to move his sleeves as a sig- 
nal of the close of the audience, one of the nobles 
announced the arrival of some great personage, 
whose name his ears failed to catch, whereupon the 
regent Amavan said, “This man, O my prince, is the 
greatest of your majesty’s conquests,” and in ano- 
ther minute a personage of majestic height and 
figure, attired and attended with all the magnificence 
of a king, entered the hall and fell at the foot of the 
throne, and as he did so Amavan proclaimed his 
name and titles, when Nicholas gave a cry of aston- 
ishment, and would have rushed forward, but for 
Woo-san-Kwei, who, by whispering in his ear, caused 
him to become as pale and almost as silent as marble. 
His surprise and indignation was not wonderful, for 
the great man who knelt at the feet of the Tartar 
chief was no less a personage than his own father, 
( hin-Chi-Loong. 


NICHOLAS LEAVES PEKIN. 


309 


CHAPTER XLI. 

NICHOLAS HAS AN INTER^HEW WITH HIS FATHER, 
AND LEAVES PEKIN FOR EVER. 

Not daring to believe, yet trembling for fear his 
father should be the traitor to the Mings that his sub- 
mission to Chun-ti had proclainaed him, Nicholas fol- 
lowed the procession that conducted Chin-Chi-Loong 
to the palace appointed for his residence in Pekin ; 
nor could he help remarking the absence of Chinese 
faces among the soldiers and attendants who followed 
him. Again, when he entered the palace, the court- 
yards, and the passages, nought could he see but Tar- 
tars. “Surely,” he thought, “my beloved father must 
be a prisoner of state and, much vexed at his unfilial 
misgivings of his parent’s loyalty, he sent to the chief 
a message by one of the attendants, that “ the bearer 
of his letter from the south to the north” craved m 
immediate audience of the King Pacifier of the South ; 
when, as the chief knew that it could be no other 
than Nicholas, in another minute the father and son 
had met again, after their long absence from each 
other. 

“ Is it possible that my father can have become so 
terrified by the tempestuous fortunes of the imperial 
Ming, that he should seek the sunshine of the barba- 


310 


THE WAR TIGER. 


rian’s court?” said Nicholas, sadly, when the first 
greeting was past. 

“ This is, indeed, the most unfortunate day in the 
life of Chin-Chi-Loong, if his son can believe him 
willingly guilty of so great a crime,” said the chief. 

“What words are these, my noble parent? for if thou 
art not a receiver of stolen things, how earnest thou 
by this kingdom of Fokien ? for surely it was not 
given to thee by the Emperor Yong-Li,” replied 
Nicholas. 

“ Is my son blind, that he cannot see that his pa- 
rent is a prisoner to these Tartar dogs?” 

“A prisoner, my father! Do the Tartars confer 
kingdoms upon their prisoners ?” said Nicholas. 

“Even as thou wilt hear,” replied the chief; add- 
ing, “The commission sent by the Emperor Wey-t- 
song created his servant lord of the four seas. Once 
in possession of that office I sought to sweep the 
rebels and thieves from the sea-coast provinces, but 
by the time I bad effected this great end, the news 
came that the rebel Li-Kong had slain the Emperor 
and usurped the throne; then I determined to hold 
possession of the seas, towns, and cities for the Prince 
Yong-Li, and so for many months kept the miserable 
Tartars who had invaded those provinces at bay; 
and even when the barbarians poured into the empire 
like locusts, I still kept possession of the sea-coast 
towns and cities. Then, afraid of my power, the 
Tartar king and his brother Amavan sent a great em- 
bassy, assuring me they were allies of the great Woo- 
san-Kwei, who, to quell the rebellion and hunt 


NICHOLAS LEAVES PEKIN. 


811 


the robbers from the face of the land, had pray- 
ed their assistance; moreover, they swore that 
when they had purged the empire of all such rogues, 
they would place it in the hands of the Prince Yong- 
Liand leave the land.” 

“ Surely my father was too wise to believe the art- 
ful thieves,” said Nicholas. 

“Not so, my son, for the embassy was supported 
by a letter in the characters of Woo-san-Kwei, in- 
forming me of the cruel murder of his parent, earn- 
estly beseeching my aid in exterminating the rebels, 
and also assuring me of the good faith of the Tartar 
rats. Not doubting so great and wise a general, and 
moreover that the people might believe my authority 
lawful, I accepted from the Tartar king the title of 
Pacificator of the South, and the kingdom of Fokien. 
When, however, I had made amity with him, he 
poured fresh hordes into the cities, so that speedily I 
had little pow*er upon land, and determined upon the 
first opportunity to again seek my fleet. It was then 
that I became betrayed into their hands, for the 
Prince Amavan, who commanded in the south, sud- 
denly gave out that he was proceeding to Pekin, to 
aid in the installation of the new Emperor, and pray- 
ed that previous to his departure I would take part 
in a great hunting expedition. Knowing this to be 
the darling pastime of these barbarians, I complied. 
When, however, we had reached a great distance from 
the coast, I saw a large body of troops come from be- 
hind a neighboring hill, and immediately, fearing 
treachc^’v. I resolved to escape, but the mild manner 


312 


THE WAR TIGER. 


of Amavan persuaded me that my fears were 
idle ; so when too late I found myself in the midst of 
the main body of his army ; with the greatest polite- 
ness, he informed me his brother the king was dead, 
and that the Emperor was his nephew Chun-ti. At 
the news, I could have plunged my dagger into the 
rogue; but knowing that force would be useless 
among such a formidable army, I dissembled my 
rage, and pretended to rejoice at the chance of pros- 
perity the people would have beneath such an 
Emperor.” 

“ Indeed it were better to die than dissemble, my 
father,” said Nicholas, with flashing eyes. 

“Listen, my son. Well, taking advantage of my 
apparent joy, this Amavan told me he was command- 
ed by the Emperor to invite me to his court, where I 
should formally receive my title and kingdom from 
the imperial hands. Thus had I the choice of enter- 
ing Pekin as a captive or a king.” 

“ The former would have been more worthy of the 
great sea chief, whose ambition hath ruined him,” 
said Nicholas. 

“ Is it possible that thou canst dare ” 

“ Pardon, O my father, but thy son will dare any 
thing and every thing till he can rescue his parent, 
country, and Emperor from the hands of these barba- 
rians, and until he has done this he will rest neither 
by night nor day.” 

“ Do this, and my error may yet be retrieved.” 

“ Thy son shall be worthy of his parent,” replied 
Nicholas ; adding, “ But cannot my father cast aside 


KICHOLAS LEAVES PEKIN. 


313 


this mock dignity, and at once escape from this rebel- 
lious city ?” 

“ It is not possible ; it would not be wise ; it would 
be treasonous to the General Woo-san-Kwei.” 

“Then the noble Woo-san-Kwei is not a traitor to 
the Emperor Yong-Li,” said Nicholas, eagerly. 

“ Hist !” replied the chief by way of caution ; then 
adding, “ He but waits the opportunity to rise and 
exterminate the Tartars,” 

“ Thank Heaven !” exclaimed Nicholas ; adding, 
“Yet surely these double ways are neither honest 
nor successful.” Then, taking farewell of his parent, 
he left the palace, and making his way to a portion 
of the city unfrequented by the Tartars, exchanged 
his rich clothes for the attire of a small merchant, 
went to the river, and after some hard bargaining, 
took a passage on board a trading junk, and left Pe- 
kin for ever. 


314 


THE WAR TIGER. 


CHAPTER XLIL 

THE RIVAL SEA CHIEFS. RE- APPEARANCE OF AN OLD 

FRIEND. A COMICAL BATTLE WITH THE TARTARS. 

Once masters of Pekin, which being so near their 
native wilds, enabled them to introduce hordes of 
their fellow-countrymen, the Tartars conquered prov- 
ince by province, till they obtained possession of the 
whole empire. The most difficult, however, to sub- 
due, were the southern districts, which edged the sea, 
and chiefly for this reason : that not long after they 
succeeded in entrapping Chin-Chi-Loong, to their 
surprise, there appeared another and a greater sea 
chief, whose fleet was so large, and his successes so 
great in destroying the Tartar settlements upon the 
coasts, and even the great towns up the Yang-tse- 
Kiang, that the greater part of the Chinese, who had 
any spirit or patriotism remaining, flocked to his 
standard, and swelled his fleet and army to such a 
size, that the Tartar government, trembling with fear 
for the capital itself, ofiered immense rewards for his 
head ; and finding that of no use, offered to give him 
the command of the seas, and even a kingdom, if he 
would acknowledge their rule ; but all this was of no 
use : the terrible patriot Tching-Tching-Kong, (or 
Koshinga, as the Portuguese did, and I shall for the 


THE SEA CHIEFS. 


315 


future, name him,) would listen to no other terms 
hut their departure from the country, to which, hut 
for the sudden appearance on the coast of another 
formidahle sea-chief, named Yuen, they would in all 
prohahility have heen compelled to yield. 

hTow the difference between these two chiefs was, 
that while Koshinga protected the Chinese against 
the invaders, the chief Yuen was a mere pirate, and, 
if booty were to he gained, destroyed both peoples 
alike. Moreover, the latter seemed to have a great 
hatred for Koshinga; for, although he dared not 
meet him in fair fight, if by chance he ever fell dn 
with a solitary ship of his fleet, he would wantonly 
sink it with all its crew; and so terrible had the 
name of this Yuen become, that the people upon the 
coast named him the Black Sea-dragon. Neither was 
it possible to make out the object of this pirate. It 
could not have been the desire of mere wealth, for 
the Tartar government, thinking him a very desirable 
antagonist to Koshinga, offered him wealth, and the 
same rank they had offered to his rival, provided he 
succeeded in destroying the latter ; but still, although 
Yuen hated the patriot sea chief, his dislike to the 
Tartars was no less, for, like Koshinga, he destroyed 
their houses and massacred their people at every op- 
portunity. So at length, giving up all hope of con- 
quering either of his amphibious enemies, Chun-ti 
issued an order that all the houses, cities, towns, and 
villages, within ten miles of the sea, should be de- 
stroyed, chiefly, I believe, to prevent the people from 
supplying them with provisions. 


316 


THE WAR TIGER. 


Well, one day, shortly after this order had been re- 
ceived, and the inhabitants of a small town on the 
coast of Fokien were in high bustle packing up their 
goods and chattels ready for departure, some by 
means of carts, others, and the greater part, by junks 
and barges, a large merchant junk stood in from the 
sea, entered the narrow creek into w^hich the river 
emptied itself, anchored, and would have remained 
unnoticed by the soldiers, who were inspecting the 
carrying out of the Emperor’s orders, but for the ap- 
pearance of a young man, who, stepping on shore, was 
immediately seized by the order of the officer. 
“Who is the vile slave, that he dares disobey the 
commands of the great Emperor ?” said the latter. 

“ Surely thy servant, who has but just entered the 
town, can be guilty of no crime ?” 

“Are the words of the Emperor dirt, that they 
should have escaped the ears of so small a dog ?” said 
the officer. 

“Truly these holy words have not fallen into the 
ears of thy mean servant, O magnificent commander,” 
returned the other. 

“Then let the dog’s ears be opened, and he shall 
hear,” said the officer, directing a soldier to proclaim 
the royal command, which was to the effect that the 
long hair of every Chinese should be shaven from his 
head, and the growth of a Tartar tail encouraged, in 
order that there should be no difference between the 
two races. 

When the stranger, however, heard the order, his 
eyes flashed, and his lips quivered with rage, at the 


THE SEA CHIEFS. 


317 


great badge of slavery the Tartars were thrusting 
upon his countrymen ; and he placed his hand beneath 
his robe, as if clutching the hilt of a sword ; but then, 
looking at the Tartar troops, who had by this time 
surrounded him, and perceiving the folly of resistance, 
he said, “Truly the ears of thy servant have- not 
heard this order.” 

“ Let the dog obey, or he shall be strangled,” was 
the only reply. 

Then, with a look half tragic, half comic, and, taking 
his long flowing locks in his hand, he said, “ Surely 
the magnificent commander will give his servant a 
few hours to prepare his head for so serious a fare- 
well ?” 

The next minute, however, one of the barbers who 
accompanied the troops for the purpose of performing 
the first operation upon the conquered people, made 
his appearance, and, setting down his apparatus, be- 
gan to prepare his scissors and large knife, when, like 
a half-secured animal whose dim instinct had just 
been aroused to the fact of the coming slaughter, the 
stranger struck out with both fists, sending barber 
and officer rolling one over the other, and darted off, 
followed by at least a dozen arrows from the bows 
of the soldiers, who, however had been too much 
surprised to aim properly. 

Now, weak and effeminate as the Chinese had 
shown themselves in allowing the empire to become 
so easily conquered by the Tartars, this insult was 
always deeply felt even by those who had been com- 
pelled to submit, so in a few minutes they gathered 


318 


THE WAR TIGER. 


about the Tartars in great numbers, and being in- 
spired by the strangei'’s pluck, from hard words came 
to such hard blows, that the bully Tartars were very 
glad to beat a retreat, only promising to themselves a 
great revenge hereafter. 

As for the stranger, he ran with such speed and 
blind terror, at the notion of losing his beautiful hair, 
that he tumbled headlong over an old sow into a 
litter of pigs, which were among the goods about to 
be taken away ; and, comical as was this scene, it 
might have been serious, for the animal, seeing her 
family attacked by so formidable an enemy, would 
have made it a personal matter, but for a mob of peo- 
ple who came to the rescue of the stranger, at whose 
spirit in resisting the hateful order they were so de- 
lighted, that they lifted him upon their shoulders ; 
when the youth, in his excitement, mistaking them 
for Tartars, put both his hands to his locks, exclaim- 
ing, “ You dogs, I will rather lose my head than 
prove such a coward.” 

“ A patriot ! a hero ! down with the Tartar 
thieves !” said the mob. 

When the stranger, recovering from his fright, 
said, “ Pardon, O my brothers, for believing you to 
be such dogs.” 

Then the crowd gave more cheers, and asked 
where he would be taken to. 

“ Know any of you the residence of the colao Ki ?” 
was the reply. 

“ To the house of the good Ki,” exclaimed the mob, 
and in a few minutes more they had deposited him 


THE SEA CHIEFS. 310 

at the gates of a great house not far distant from the 
sea. 

“ What rogue is this who dares disturb the quiet 
of the noble Ki ?” said the servant who opened the 
gate. 

“Let me pass, thou mean fellow, said the apparent- 
ly mad-headed stranger, rushing through halls and 
courts till he reached the door of the women’s apart- 
ments, which, to the horror of the servant, who now 
called for assistance, he burst open, and, seeing two 
ladies, fell at the feet of one of them, sobbing aloud, 
“ Then my information is true, and I have found thee 
again, my venerable and beloved parent.” Need I 
tell you that the stranger was no other than Chow ? 

“ The gods punish me with a false vision, my eye- 
balls must be old, or it is indeed my beloved son 
Chow,” said the lady, throwing her arms around her 
son’s neck. 

“ The faithful friend of the noble Nicholas ! Surely 
this is not possible,” said the princess, hysterically, 
so forgetting her rank in her delighted surprise, that 
she embraced him as a brother, not a little, I assure 
you, to the wonder and horror of the servants, and 
the colao himself, who had hastened to the apartment 
to secure the daring robber, as the frightened servant 
had reported, and which Ki believed Chow to be, 
feeling certain that none but a thief would be guilty 
of so profane an act as entering the sacred apartments 
of the ladies. 


320 


THE WAR TIGER. 


CHAPTER XLIII. 

CHOW DISCOVERS HIS MOTHER AND THE PRINCESS. 

RESCUES THEM FROM THE TARTARS AND RELATES 
HIS ADVENTURES. 

When the surprise had a little subsided upon both 
sides, Chow looked around, listened anxiously for a 
moment, and then said, “ This is a fortunate day ; the 
surprise, the joy is great, but, alas ! it will be short- 
lived, for the barbarians can neither forget nor for- 
give,” and he related his adventure with the soldiers ; 
when, taking him by the hand, the princess said, 
“Fear not, friend of my brother; the barbarians 
dare not enter the house of Ki ; for the usurper, bar- 
barian as he is, has bestowed honor upon the noble 
colao for his services to his late Emperor, and as a 
consolation for his misfortunes ; and in the house of 
one upon whom Chun-ti has bestowed the honored 
title of ‘ Faithful to his Prince,’ no person dares enter 
unasked.” 

“ Thy servant feared less for himself than for his 
beloved mother and the illustrious princess, whom 
he is commanded by the noble Nicholas to rescue 
from the degenerate soil of China, till it again owns 
its native princess,” said Chow ; adding, “ From the 
hour that the vile guide betrayed the illustrious prin* 


chow’s mother and the princess. 321 


cess into the hands of the rogues, the noble ll^’icholas 
has left no stone unturned to discover thy fate.” 
Then, repeating the history of their adventures to the 
time of his being taken prisoner by Li-Kong, he add- 
ed, “ So enraged was the villain mandarin, that, in- 
stead of killing me on the spot, he reserved me for a 
cruel death upon our reaching Pekin ; then, however, 
being driven from the capital, he took me with him 
to Chen-si, where I was kept loaded with chains in a 
damp hole for many months, till indeed the great 
rebel was himself driven out of Chen-si, when, so ill 
that I could not walk, I was taken from the prison 
and conveyed to the house of the physician, who had 
been ordered to take charge of the sick and wounded, 
and unfortunately I remained senseless so long, that 
when I recovered, I discovered that not only had the 
great Woo-san-Kwei been the general who had pun- 
ished Li, but that my beloved master had been with 
him. Bitterly regretting the misfortune that had 
caused me to miss him so narrowly, I resolved on 
seeking him in the capital ; and so without money or 
food, but what I could beg on the road, I traveled, 
being compelled to rest many days upon my journey. 

“ At length, however, I reached Pekin, when, to 
my great rage, not only did I find that the Tartar 
prince had seized the throne, but that my noble mas- 
ter had left the city in horror at the great treason of 
his illustrious parent Chin-Chi-Loong. Then, weary 
©f a world which contained so much vileness and 
misfortune, I should have myself sought the yellow 
stream, had it not occurred to me, that it would be 
21 


322 


THE WAR TIGER. 


TiHainous to desert the beloved parent whom I had 
resolved to discover ; but, moreover, my master had 
taught me that it was a great crime ; and, trembling 
that I had ever contemplated such a thing, I rushed 
down to the canal and engaged myself as a Coolie, 
for I thought the employment would drive away my 
sorrow, and, perhaps, throw some lucky chance in 
my way, and so it happened ; for one day, carrying 
some goods for a traveling merchant, the good man 
took a fancy to me, and offered to take me wdth him 
into the province of Fokien. The offer gave me joy, 
for I knew that if ever I found my master it would 
be near the sea, which he loves as if he were a 
fish, and so it chanced ; for one day, after many 
months’ traveling, we lodged at the town of Ho-a, 
when a few days afterward the Chinese inh9bitants 
became very joyful, and the Tartar soldiers were 
greatly terrified at a report that the terrible Koshin- 
ga, whose name just about that time had become fa- 
mous, would land. Well, the report proved true, for 
the sea chief appeared with a great fleet, and drove 
the Tartars inland ; when, feeling weary of my servi- 
tude, and longing to fight against the usurping bar- 
barians, I offered my services to one of the com- 
manders, and no sooner had I put in force that vir- 
tuous resolution, than my fortunes began to mend, 
for in one of the ships I found the noble Nicholas. 

“ Well, I will only tell the illustrious princess how 
thji+ I kept by the side of the noble Nicholas in all 
battles that have been fought by the great Kos’^inga; 
but in the midst of our adventures and successes, 


chow’s mother and the princess. 323 

both the noble Nicholas and his servant were un- 
happy, for they pined to learn the fate of the daugh- 
ter of the Mings, whom the heavens had once en- 
trusted to their care. At every town upon the coast, 
from every man who joined the fleet, did we endeavor 
to trace some clue, not omitting to ofier great re- 
wai’ds ; it was all, however, useless, till one day a 
Tartar prisoner was taken and brought to our ship, 
and as he had with him a copy of the Pekin Gazette^ 
which contains the officers of the empire and the de- 
crees of the Emperor, the noble Nicholas eagerly 
read, it to find out the movements of the barbarians, 
when, much to his surprise, he saw that the noble Ki 
had been restored to his rank and fortunes, and, more- 
over, was permitted to reside unmolested at his na- 
tive palace in Fokien. ‘Thus, then, O Chow, we 
have a fortunate day ; here is a clue to the princess — 
for should she have escaped the villain rebels, this 
old and faithful servant of her royal father will surely 
know,’ said the noble Nicholas.” 

“ Truly the great Father of heaven hath directed, 
this even,” said the princess. 

“ Then, O my princess, the heart of thy servant 
leaped for joy; for he knew that the clue to the illus- 
trious daughter of the Mings would lead to the dis- 
covery of his beloved mother, so upon his knees he 
begged his noble master to let him search the coast 
of Fokien, a request he would have granted, had not 
the whole fleet been ordered by the chief Koshinga 
to attack and drive the barbarian Hollanders from 
the great island of Formosa on that day. Then for 


324 : 


THE WAR TIGER. 


nearly four moons was the fleet before the castle of 
Zealand, which protects the island ; and so well did 
the barbarians fight, that we had no other hope but 
to starve them out ; at length, however, they were 
joined by the numerous ships of the traitorous black 
dragon Yuen, and for the first time Koshinga was 
near being defeated, till at length destiny led him to 
fill seven of his ships with oil and inflammable mate- 
rials, when, taking advantage of the first north- 
easterly wind, he set them on fire, and sent them 
among the ships of Yuen, the greater part of which 
being destroyed, the crews with the black dragon 
sought the shores in their boats. Thus having got 
rid of the fleet, the great Koshinga landed his troops, 
and after a great battle killed the greater portion of 
the pirates, made the remainder prisoners, and took 
possession of the country. 

“ Truly this Koshinga is a great war dragon,” said 
the princess. 

“ And noble as he is brave ; for although he pun- 
ished the traitor pirates with death, as enemies to 
their true Emperor, he permitted the miserable Hol- 
landers, who, being barbarians, could know no better, 
to pile up their household goods in one of their ships 
and depart.” 

“ Thou hast not said aught of the noble Kicholas 
during this terrible fight,” said the princess. 

“ Truly, O illustrious lady, he fought like the brave 
war, tiger that he is, and performed the greatest act 
^f the fight ; for with his own hands he slew the vil- 
lain Yuen.” 


chow’s mother and the princess. 325 

“ Then great was his for he has rendered 

the whole empire grateful,” exclaimed Ki. 

“They owe the noble Nicholas more gratitude 
than the rebel Li-Kong, of whose place of refuge, or 
fate, none have been able to imagine, since the taking 
of Chen-si by the great Woo-san-Kwei.” 

“ God is indeed great ; thus may treason be for 
ever punished,” said the princess. 

“But greater to thy servant was the capturing of 
the villain mandarin, who killed his venerable parent. 
I had struck the rogue down with my sword, and re- 
joicing that I had at last the opportunity of destroy- 
ing so great a villain, was about to kill him, when he 
saved his life by uttering a few words.” 

“ Is it under heaven that thou couldst save the life 
of the slayer of thy parent?” exclaimed Chow’s 
mother. 

“Truly, my noble mother, for those words were 
‘Thy mother and the princess.’ Like magic they 
kept my sword suspended midway, and I said, 
‘What words are these, thou dog?’ And the mean 
rogue said, ‘If the noble captain will save the life of 
his slave, he shall be restored to his parent.’ Need 
a son tell his mother that he promised when the ras- 
cal said, ‘ That it had been known for a long time to 
him that the princess was living in disguise in 
the house of the retired colao in Fokien, and that 
had Li-Kong been successful in defeating Koshinga, 
it was the rogue’s intention to sail for the coast and 
seize the illustrious lady ?” 

“Truly Heaven is merciful in having destroyed 
such a villain,” said the princess. 


326 


THE WAR TIGER. 


“Thei',” added Chow, “delighted with the discov- 
ery, my enmity to the rogue became lost in my anxiety 
to again see my parent ; so I besought of the noble 
Nicholas to send me in search of those lost pearls of 
our existence, which he did with these words : ‘ Tell 
the illustrious princess that the Tartar rogues will 
seize her if she does not seek the protection of Ko- 
shinga, the friend of China and the Mings, of whose 
favor her adopted brother Nicholas will assure her.’ 
Thus commissioned, I obtained one of the smallest 
junks of the fleet, had it repainted and disguised to 
resemble a trading vessel, set sail from the island, 
and landed this morning, when I so nearly fell into 
the hands of the rats of Tartars. Such is the history 
of thy servant, and such his mission. It is for the 
great wisdom of the princess alone, to consider 
whether the daughter of the Mings may long remain 
in safety and undiscovered beneath the dominion of 
the butchers of her race.” 

“Heaven is beneficent and thy words wise, O 
Chow,” said the princess. 

“ Truly, daughter of my beloved master, thy safe- 
ty would have been endangered had we been per- 
mitted to remain here, for since the villain mandarin 
knew thy secret, it is but reasonable to believe that 
it may be in the possession of another who may part 
with it for a high price to the Emperor Chun-ti. 
But since this cruel order has arrived, to destroy all 
the houses for ten miles inland, the princess can find 
no safer asylum than the country of the great patriot 
Koshinga,” said the colao. 


chow’s mother and the princess. 327 

Never could there have been a more fortunate time 
for them to leave the town ; for, as all the inhabitants 
were hastening to obey the order of the Emperor, 
and were busy with their own affairs, they could es- 
cape the watchful eyes of the Tartars. So that very 
day they set about making preparations for their de- 
parture, and before twenty-four hours had passed, 
the whole party were on board Chow’s ship and 
moving down the stream; indeed, not a moment be- 
fore it was necessary, for scarcely had they got under 
weigh when a boat put off from the shore, filled with 
Tartar soldiers, the chief of whom commanded them 
to stop. 

“What would the Tartar dogs?” said Chow, 
standing upon the poop of the vessel. The reply, 
however, was an arrow, which but narrowly missed 
the breast of the brave fellow ; who, however, taking 
no notice of the missile, said, very coolly, as the 
soldiers reached the side of the ship and demanded to 
be admitted onboard, “What would the Tartar dogs 
on board a quiet trading vessel ?” 

“ The daughter of the miserable Ming,” was the 
reply. 

“ Then only two at a time, my brother,” replied 
Chow, acquiescing in their request. And without 
waiting for further permission, the two soldiers 
climbed up the side and stood on the deck, only, 
however, to find themselves tightly clasped by armed 
men, who had been lying down in readiness for them. 
At the same time Chow, assisted by some of his 
crew, threw a heavy bar over the ship’s side into the 


328 


THE WAE TIGER. 


boat below, which falling across the bows and sinking 
her, sent the soldiers into the water struggling for 
their lives. 

“ Oh, oh !” said Chow to the two prisoners, “ you 
are the affectionate rogues who wanted a lock of my 
hair.” 

“ Surely the magnanimous hero would not murder 
two poor men who were doing their duty,” was the 
reply. 

“ Truly it is said that fortune comes to every dog 
in its turn, and I am the bow-wow now,” said Chow 
to the Tartars, as he tied together the ends of the 
long head-tails, of which they were so proud that 
they wished all China to imitate them, and conse- 
quently now roared for fear of losing them. 

“ Get you gone, you dogs !” said Chow ; and the 
next moment the men were toppled over into the 
river, plunging, kicking, and at every plunge giving 
such reciprocal pulls at each other’s tails that they 
became as belligerent as two cats in a similar predic- 
ament, and the more so, that the people upon the 
banks stood laughing heartily at their ridiculous 
gyrations. 


A SEA VOYAGE. 


329 


CHAPTER XLIV. 

A SEA VOYAGE — THE COLAO RELATES THE ADVEN- 
TURES OP THE PRINCESS. 

Once on board, they were safe, for although the 
junk had been painted to resemble a trading ship, 
she was equipped with arms of every kind, and, 
moreover, with men, who had been hidden below ; 
and it was fortunate that she was so well prepared, 
for when a Tartar junk put off after them, the crew of 
the latter no sooner perceived the deck crowded with 
armed men, and a flag hoisted at the mast-head, dis- 
playing the terrible name of Koshinga, than they re- 
linquished the chase. 

Once out at eea, the vessel was as quiet and happy 
as a holiday junk, and Chow sought permission to 
enter the state cabin of the princess. 

“ Truly, my brave Chow, we have had a narrow 
escape from these barbarians,” said the princess; 
adding, “ The words of the noble Ki were wise, the 
iecret must have been known, and sold to the usurper.” 

“Truly thy servant would willingly sacrifice his ^ 
mean life, could he see the great Yong-Li ascend the 
‘throne of his magnificent ancestors,” exclaimed 
Chow ; but, to his surprise, the beautiful eyes of the 
princess became suffused with tears. 

“ It is not under heaven, O princess, that thy slave 
can have given thee pain?” said Chow. 


330 


THE WAR TIGER. 


“ Surely this is weak, for no tears should be found 
in the eyes of the daughter of the Mings, but those 
caused by the suffering of the people,” said the prin- 
cess ; adding, “ Alas ! my poor brother, with him has 
departed the last hope of his race.” 

“ What are these sad words, O my princess ? Is 
it possible that the Emperor Yong-Li can have left 
the earth ?” 

Then, with an effort to subdue her sorrow, she 
said, “ Even so, my brave Chow ;” but, her grief over- 
coming her resolution, she could utter no more, and 
Chow respectfully left the cabin, followed by the 
colao, who thus related the adventures of the prin- 
cess, and his mother, from the time of their abduction 
by the strange soldiers : — 

“When, O brave Chow, the robbers found they 
had obtained the great prize they had so long been 
in search of, they hastened with all speed to the sea- 
coast, where they hoped to find a ship that would 
take them to the coast of Pe-tche-Lee, where the 
army of Li was reported to be encamped ; when, 
however, they reached the port, they heard that the 
Prince Yong Li had quarrelled with Woo-san-Kwei, 
and having got together a great army, had marched 
to the city of Chao-Hing, which, after a few days, he 
had retaken from the Tartars, and caused himself to 
be proclaimed Emperor. Then, when the cunning 
thieves heard this news, and also that Yong-Li was 
reconquering the country all around, they bethought 
themselves that Yong-Li would give them a much 
higher price for a sister that he loved so dearly, than 


A SEA VOYAGE. 


331 


would Li-Kong for a princess whom he only hoped 
to make his wife; so, making a virtue of a necessity, 
the rogues threw themselves at the feet of the royal 
lady, implored pardon for their roughness, and 
making a merit of their great crime, declared they 
were the faithful servants of her house, and intended 
to take her to her royal brother’s court. Too glad 
to hear such news, she readily bestowed upon them 
a pardon ; and, moreover, promised them great re- 
wards if they would only conduct her in safety to 
her brother’s presence. 

“ After some months’ tedious and difficult traveling, 
they arrived at Chao-Hing, where they found that 
the report was truthful, and that the prince had really 
made a very great stride toward his throne. Well, 
the rogues were rewarded, and the princess delighted 
at being not only restored to her brother, but to the 
good and great Candida Hiu, who had escaped to 
Chao-Hing some time previously, with myself, the 
ancient servant of the imperial Mings; but, alas! 
fortune is capricious. A great army of barbarians so 
encompassed the city, that we were unable to procure 
food; still we held out, and the soldiers fought 
bravely, with the hope of being soon relieved. Then 
some foul demon put it into the head of the Tartar 
general, that the place might be taken without fight- 
ing. So, seeing that the waters of the river were at 
a greater height than had ever before been known, 
he first made a breach in the walls, and then caused 
his army to cut away the dikes and embankments, so 
that the waters rushed in such terrible force that the 


332 


THE WAR TIGER. 


houses were beaten down, and the city made one vast 
pool, in which three millions of people were drowned, 
the Lady Candida among them. Fortunately, how- 
ever, the Emperor, the princess, and their servant, 
escaped the flood, and, after many trials and difficul- 
ties, reached the court of the King of Pegu, who, 
seeing the heir to so great a throne in such misfortune, 
readily ofiered him one of his palaces for his resi- 
dence; and there we remained happily for some 
time, and might have continued till more fortunate 
days, but that its coming to the ears of the Tartars, 
that the Prince Yong-Li was under the protection of 
the King of Pegu, the latter, for fear of being de- 
throned by his terrible neighbor, was compelled to 
give the prince into the hands of the Tartar, who, 
taking him to Pekin, there had him destroyed in a 
cruel and ignominious manner. Fortunately, how- 
ever, the Tartar did not know that the imperial Lar 
Loo, was with her brother, and so, aided by the King 
of Pegu, I traveled into my own province of Fokien, 
taking the princess as my daughter, and thy mother 
as her attendant ; and no plan could be so safe, for the 
Tartnr barbarian had proclaimed that all those Chi- 
nese nobles who had sufiered by the tyranny of Wey-t- 
song, or Li-Kong, should be reinstalled in their former 
rank and possessions, conferring upon me alone, for 
my long and faithful services to my late master, the 
high and honorable title of ‘Faithful to the Emperor.’ ” 
“Truly this is a sad and marvelous history,” said 
Chow, taking a respectful leave of the venerable 
noble, and proceeding to the duties of the ship. 


THE PALACE OF KOSHINGA. 


333 


CHAPTER XLY. 

THEY BEACH THE PALACE OF THE SEA CHIEF KOSHINGA. 

Oh ! how the heart of the princess bled for the 
poor people, as sailing along that coast she saw with 
what terrible haste the Emperor’s command had 
been obeyed. There, as far as the vision could pierce, 
ran, blazed, crackled one cordon of fire; miles in 
thickness, this fearful belt seemed as if it were to 
ward off the attack of worlds of savage beasts, in- 
stead of one mortal man. Yet such was the shock- 
ing policy of the Tartar despot, that to starve the 
great sea warrior from the coast, he laid waste hun- 
dreds of miles, ruined millions of his new subjects, 
and turned a fertile and populous land into a dreary 
wilderness. 

For some days the little ship ploughed those 
waters, which, though famous for their tempests, 
were, as if in augury of better fortunes, now as placid 
as a lake, till at length they came in sight of the Pes- 
cadores, from almost every point of which they could 
see the colors of the victorious Koshinga. Then 
they reached the point of Formosa, upon which the 
Hollanders had erected their fort, but from which 


334 


THE WAR TIGER. 


now floated the flag of the sea chief ; then Chow sent 
up a signal, and in reply the Dutch guns bellowed 
forth a salute. Shortly afterward some large barges 
put off from the shore to the ship, the princess and 
her party took their seats, and were speedily rowed 
to the shore, upon which she had no sooner put her 
foot, than Nicholas fell upon his knees before her, 
saying, “Welcome, illustrious daughter of the Mings, 
to the kingdom of Koshinga.” 

“ Surely, my brave and noble brother, this is but 
mockery ; for^the daughter of the Mings is now but 
an outcast orphan,” said the princess, taking Nicho- 
las by the hands and assisting him to rise. 

“Not so, O illustrious princess! for, like a brand 
from the flames, this great and fertile island hath 
been plucked from the thieving Tartars and Holland- 
ers by Koshinga, that it may be restored to the prin- 
cess of China, as a resting-place, till the whole of her 
empire be recovered.” 

“ Who, O my brother, is this bold, brave man that 
thus shakes the world by his power?” 

“ A patriot, and a true Chinese, whose only ambi- 
tion is to root out the miserable Tartars from the 
land, and restore its throne to its ancient Emperors,” 
replied Nicholas ; adding, “ But the princess would 
see this terrible sea chief.” Then he led her through 
the double rows of troops, which were drawn up the 
whole length between the . castle and the shore, and 
all of whom bent low with respectful loyalty as the 
daughter of their late Emperor passed. When 
within the castle, he led her to a door where a num- 


THE PRINCE OF KOSHINGA. 


335 


ber of ladies in rich dresses stood ready to receive 
her. “ Now, O illustrious princess, will thy servant pre- 
pare the noble chief for the gi*eat honor of thy visit,” 
said Nicholas, leaving her to the care of the ladies. 


S36 


THE WAK TIGER. 


CHAPTER XLYL 

THE KING AND QUEEN OF FORMOSA. HAPPY 

TERMINATION OP THE STORY. 

The pleasure of the princess had changed to grief; 
she felt disappointed and desolate, for once fallen 
from her high rank, and having been thrown by 
misfortune beneath the care of Nicholas, she had 
learned to regard him as a brother ; therefore, after 
the death of the Prince Yong-Li, great had been her 
delight, by anticipation, of again meeting him — ^but 
now, alas! the brave youth seemed changed. Was 
he not, indeed, one of the officers of the great Ko- 
shinga, by whose command he had received her, not 
as a dear friend, but with the cold and formal respect 
due to that exalted rank, which, as it seemed about 
to rob her of her adopted brother, was hateful to her ? 

Thus, in a very melancholy mood, she followed the 
ladies through the corridor into a suite of rooms, 
magnificently furnished with the spoils from the well- 
laden ships of Li-Kong. She, who, more fortunate 
than most princesses, had had the painful mantle of 
royalty torn from her shoulders and been permitted 
for a season to taste the troubles of ordinary mortals, 
which, compared to her former state, seemed luxury 
itself, was again about to be petrified by state gar- 
ments, and, like the idols, her Christian teaching 


THE KING AND QUEEN OF FORMOSA. 337 

taught her to despise, placed upon a throne high up 
out of the way of common humanity, and as her ex- 
perience had taught her, mocked with a false adoration. 

The morning came, however, and still she as much 
feared to meet the chief as if he had been her great- 
est enemy. At last the terrible moment of meeting 
came, and she was conducted by her ladies to the 
great hall of the castle, which was hung wdth yellow 
cloth of gold. Not noticing the crowd of officers 
around, who were bowing to the ground, she bent 
her head downward, and as the ladies led her for- 
ward to the chair of state, she heard, “ W elcome to 
the Queen of Tai-ouan.” The welcome was echoed 
by a hundred voices ; the princess looked up, the 
throne was vacant, but by her side, and holding her 
hand, stood the terrible Koshinga, at the sight of 
whom she trembled, but it was with joy, for the great 
sea chief after all was neither more nor less than 
Nicholas, the son of the merchant of the south, who, 
by his great abilities, valor, and energy, had con- 
quered a kingdom and crowned himself. 

Thus ends the troubles of the princess, Chow, 
Nicholas, and my story. I will, however, add, that 
although by some unaccountable neglect the histo- 
rians of China have omitted to say one word about 
the queen, they all state that not only was Koshinga, 
the great son of Chin-Chi-Loong, crowned first King 
of Formosa, but in that capacity received ambassa- 
dors from several of the monarchs of Europe. 


22 


THE END. 



THE STORY 



NEW YORK: 

PUBLISHED BY JAMES MILLER, 

(successor to C. 8. FRANCIS A 00.,) 

647 BKOAHWAY, 


THB 


CHILDREN’S STORY-BOOK 

OF 

GOOD Am GREAT MEK 


ILLUSTRATED WITH SIXTEEN ENGRAVINGS, 


NW YORK: 

JAMES MILLER, PUBLISHER, 
647 BROADWAY, 

1868. 









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